Moving Day
by RichieD
Summary: A prequel to my earlier fic, Burnout: Summer Rush which chronicles one of the main characters move from Orchid Bay to Townsville and her first taste of supernatural adventure. R&R Please. Act 7 is now up
1. Send Off Party

Moving Day

By RichieD.

(A/N and Disclaimer: E'llo peoples, Rich here once again getting his storytelling gears in action. Mainly due to the inspiration of our local CASC (That's short for Cartoon All Stars Chronicles) RPG over at Yahoo groups which speaking of this is a side story to said RPG. Actually more like a prequel to before the events that happen in the RPG, so that would make it a side story-quel? Eh whatever, in any case to those that follow the RPG this happens before the Burnout saga in the series. And like many of my works that involve CASC, I'll be treating this one as if it actually were a television episode, or more over a movie in this case (though sorry no opening songs this time around). So read, critique if you wish, and overall just enjoy yourselves. The character of Shorty belongs to me, the character of Binks belongs to MetaHamtaroZoid a.k.a MHZ and any other characters and settings belong their respective creators and their networks. With said, let's rock.)

We start with usual stuff you find in movies. Warning against bootlegging, THX screen (FOR HI DEFINITION READING), and other stuff I can't remember you have to wade though before you actually reach the movie.

Finally a dark screen fills after they have been shown which then shows the Cartoon Network logo then the Nickelodeon Films logo. After that disappears, a rock suddenly falls from the top of the screen and the darkness around it gives way to a rocky terrain. The camera zooms back to show the backs of a handful of familiar cartoon characters (Danny Phantom, XJ9 a.k.a Jenny, The Powerpuff Girls, The Eds (carrying sledgehammers), Juniper Lee, Kids Next Door, etc) however we see a few unfamiliars standing with them. Including a lightly skinned African American girl dress in red overall, another African American this one male wearing a black jacket with flame designs on it, a Caucasian brown hair male wearing a white jacket, a Caucasian white haired girl wearing a black and green skimpy outfit and last but not a least a brown haired Caucasian male in a simple blue jacket and cap though what noticeable is his fairy wings and crown.

The girl in red approaches the rock then smiles, turns to the others and nods. They grin then power up or ready themselves and with a yell rush the rock. What follows is a montage of the group tearing into the rock with their usual attacks before a flash of white envelops the screen. When vision is brought back, there are chucks of smaller rocks falling everywhere. The camera slowly follows the falling rock pieces till it stops on the heroes looking mighty satisfied with whatever they just did. The camera circle around to their behinds and we see what they're looking at. The giant rock structure which has now been craved into four giant letters that read C.A.S.C.. As the fairy guy looks at it and taps his chin with his wand, something tugs at his pants and he looks down to see Tootie (from Fairly Oddparents) motion him down. He bends down to her level and she whispers something in his ear. The fairy guy's eyes brighten and he smiles before raising his wand. Lighting suddenly comes down and strikes the letters. When the light subsides, the letters are now golden and sporting a triumphant glow. The group cheers as they see this before the camera completely focus on the letters as everything around it goes dark again. Leaving the C.A.S.C. staying there before the words "Cartoon All Stars Chronicles Productions" appear at the bottom of the screen. It stays that way for a few seconds before a girl in a purple shirt and blue pants with an apple clip on her head jumps in front of it holding a sign then strikes the screen with it. The screen cracks from the hit but we can still see the words on the sign with read "Enjoy the Show " before everything fades to black.

We then fade to a night sky and a bunch of clouds. The camera floats down through them as the credits begin to show (though for sake of the story, won't be listed. You're welcome P) before we see the tiny specks of light break through the clouds signifying a small town on the horizon. As the camera get closer to it, a bundle of clouds suddenly swoops in front of it blocking the view. Eventually it passes and suddenly we find ourselves in front of a road with a traffic sign over it. The camera cuts to the sign which reads "Welcome to Orchid Bay."

The camera suddenly goes over it and we can now make out the city in the distance. It then goes into a couple of cuts showing the city streets and places of interest (mall, theatre, the ferry ride from that Viking episode, etc…) showing people going about their business…as well as the monsters and magical creatures who live there as well though of course if you're familiar with the show this setting from, you know the humans don't see or hear them due to a magical barrier. Still despite their appearances though, they go about their lives just as anybody else.

After a few more cuts through the city, we soon find ourselves in the park of the city with a good amount of lush greenery all around and a few park equipment here and there. Not to mention a trail leading through the area and back again. Of course at this time of day, no one is going to be moseying around the area.

-WHAM-

…at least not anyone normal.

"COME BACK HERE! DARN IT!" A female voice breaks through the silence as a purple colored goblin busted out from one of the bushes and made his way through most of the path, running for all it was worth and occasionally looking back to makes sure his pursuer wasn't on his tall.

"Huff, Huff, sheesh what kinda stamina does this girl have? I know she the Te Xuan Ze and all, but I didn't expect her to stay with me this long! Huff huff, and all this over skinny-dipping in the city fountain! What a goblin can't get out and spend some time to himself, whats this magical world coming to?"

The tearing up of trees behind him interrupts the goblins complaining and prompts him to run faster before whatever was chasing him managed to catch up. The goblin made its way through more shrubbery in hopes of losing his purser in the thick of it, eventually though this opened up into an open field, which wasn't exactly good news.

"Oh no" The goblin panicked "Am out in the open! She'll spot me for sure! Maybe if I double back I can…"

Before he could finish, something darted out of the trees above him and skidded to the middle of the field before stopping completely. To say the least the goblin was scared out of his wits.

"AUUGHH! NO! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! I PROMISE I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN! I'LL DO ANYTHING! DO YOUR HOMEWORK! WALK YOUR DOG…I MEAN ADVISOR! CLIP YOUR TOENAILS! JUST PLEASE DON'T BRING THE PAIN!"

The figure didn't answer though and the goblin winched for the anticipation of the first blow. However it never came much to his surprise, wearingly the goblin opened an eye and found that the person wasn't who he thought it was. Granted it was a girl but her appearance was completely different, the first of which it noticed was that she was African American though lightly skinned not to mention somewhat older figuring in around the age of 13.

Next were her clothes to which the goblin quickly noticed that she seemed to like the color red much due to her red overalls, red shoes (with a little yellow strip running down the middle of them) and a red cap wore backwards. Heck even her hair was red colored.

Presently her back was turned toward the goblin so she hadn't noticed him. Then realization hit him "Duh, the magical barrier. She can't see or hear me at all." he said as he smacked himself on the head, his adrenaline going down a little "Whew, false alarm. Though I better get out of here before the real thing shows up."

And he started to do just that, but once again found himself startled this time by the projection of lights that suddenly turned on around the area.

"Huh! What the…!" He spurted "A t…t.trap!

"So you've finally come." A voice sounded out from nowhere further unhinging the goblin's nerves.

"Um…I…I…I…was just taking…a walk and there was this pool and I was really hot all day so…" He began to stammer but the girl in red suddenly spoke up.

"Well invitations aren't meant to be ignored" As she said this she dug into the front pocket on her overalls and pulled a letter that had crude letters on it as if it had been cut from a newspaper or magazine. "The only thing missing is the occasion for such a gathering."

"Oh you know, a little get together with some friends. Some pal-ing around and such…especially since we heard some wonderful news about you."

The girl raised a suspicious eyebrow "Oh?"

"Oh yes, for you know for several years you have been harassing us in full, messing with our operations and cutting off our means of extra profit from our…shall we say…mobile banks."

"Ah so that's the pet name you people use for the kids you rob?"

"One of a few though some of those are unfit for a lady in our presences." The voice said coolly.

"Please, I stopped trying to be a "lady" a long time ago."

"Pfft, no arguing with you there." The voice muttered before sputtering out loud. "Umm uh anyway…the point is we've been going through some rough hardships because of you and just want to return the favor before you leave us for good."

The girl's eyes widen "Then you know that…"

"Oh yesh!" The voice called out "About your big moving day, going over to yonder sister city to start a brand new life of making other people's lives miserable. Of course before you do that we decided that we'd throw you one big goodbye bash!"

It was then multiple lights turned on through most of the area, revealing dozen of rough looking people, be it from their muscular looking build or their menacing seers. A few were holding weapons like poles and bats though most were simply contend with using their fists. Finally after all the lights surrounding the area had come one, a final one lit up showcasing a stage tower (A/N: Like those you put a big stereo system up for concerts) with a figure standing on top of it. A boy wearing a yellow and orange bandanna, a blue jean vest with a red shirt underneath, blue jeans and orange sneakers smirked at the girl as if he cornered a rat. However, what seemed to be really noticeable about him was his very overgrown eyebrows as they dance up and down with excitement.

He waited a minute to savor the moment before he continued "Emphasis on the word "bash"!"

Silence took over the area a moment as the girl gave a look around to her surroundings. All the faces there just waiting to get a shot at her for some past transgression and apparently their last chance as well since she was moving away. The goblin that was smack in the middle of it looked on nervously, granted no one could see or hear him but that didn't mean that he couldn't get hurt though.

"Oooh boy this don't look good." He said as he began to back away "I would love to see how this little shindig plays out. But am highly allergic to getting beat up so…"

"Heh, is this all?" The girl asked, the goblin noticing that she was beginning to flash a wide grin, which seemed to undo the bushy eyebrow boy's bravo. "It's a nice gesture and I really appreciate it, but you seemed to be a little short handed." Bushy eyebrow boy looked on blankly at first but then sneered a little.

"Oh how could I forget?" He snapped his fingers at which put a spotlight on the middle of the tower which shown on a black piece of cloth that suddenly was whisked away to reveal three figures underneath tied to the tower. The first was an African American boy around the age of 14 dressed in a black and white button up shirt, blue jeans and black sneakers. Next to him was a blonde Caucasian girl dressed in a red tye-dye lab coat, blue pants and brown sneakers. And lastly a white furred dog save for the black spot on his back with a simple blue collar and gold tag. All three looked a little roughed up though not terribly bruised. The girl's expression however changed to that of stern resolve.

"Heh, this to your liking?" Bushy eyebrow boy said "I just know how much your friends mean to you so we thought we bring them here to see you go down." She didn't answer to it but tighten her fist and started to walk forward.

"Ha! Cat got your tongue that time? This is the end of the line, babe. The ultimate payback, no way you can take all of us not even…"

'SHUT UP!" The girl yelled as she approached the stage, though had to stop an inch because of the two brutes still standing there but still managed to get the three's attention. "Well?" she asked

"Well what?" The boy in the checkered shirt said

"You promised me you would do something for me before I left town. You said four o 'clock on the dot."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME! WE'RE TIED UP HERE AND YOU'RE STLL WORRIED ABOUT THAT!"

"Getting tied up is no excuse! You guys fought most of these chumps before, so they should be easy pickings you!"

"Oh give us a break they jumped us from out of nowhere while we were getting your goodbye party ready over at Flo's Cookie Shop. Wasn't exactly a fair battle either!"

"Hmph, still no excuse. Four o' clock means four o'clock!"

"Ah c'mon, Shorty!" The blonde girl intervened "It was hard enough trying to get everything together. They didn't have the design on the cheesecake up in time. The balloons were all wrong. It was heck trying to get in contact with most of the guests which we're gonna have to face once we get out of this mess. Not to mention the trouble booking a table for Flo's place."

"Wow, did you guys really go all out?" The girl, now identified as Shorty, asked them smiling a little.

"Not like we broke the bank or anything." The boy say while rolling his eyes "But yeah, after all, if your gonna go out, go out in style I say. By the way, what was your favorite soda?"

"Cherry Limeade, why?"

"Ha I told you!" The boy said triumphly to the blonde haired girl who just frowned "See I know these things and how? By observing stuff, that's how. Buying that extra pack doesn't seem so stupid now, eh?"

"Alright, already. You were right, I was wrong. Whatever." The blonde girl said. "Not like that peach soda was going to waste."

"Oh I would've liked that too. They're both my favorites." Shorty responded.

Now it was the blonde haired girl time to gloat "HA! What was that about being a waste of money now? Doesn't hurt to plan ahead huh, see that's what I do that your little pea sized brain doesn't."

"Oh bite me." The boy said grudgingly.

"Don't tempt me am right next to ya."

"No don't tempt ME!" came a third responds this time from the…dog? "I swear listening to you two bicker is worse then seeing Garfield doing one of his fence shows."

"Oh yeah, am sure you would know seeing that your any better, howling to the moon every night with that broken tuba you call a howl." The boy shot back.

"WHY YOU LITTLE…! Hmph, that's all right coming from a dude who jealous that he can't even beat a lower species in a game of Halo."

"NANI! (A/N: Japanese for "What!") COME OVER HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE!"

" I'LL DO MORE THEN THAT!" The dog growled and tried to break away from his bonds to get at him. The boy doing likewise while everyone around the area, including Shorty and the goblin, sweatdropped.

"Boys?" the blonde girl tried to interrupt " Uh boys? Guys? IDIOTS!" that got their attention " As entertaining as this is, am starting to get rope rash here. So can we just get on with this?"

This seemed to calm the two down for a second and everything fell quiet.

"Besides Rich, he doesn't sound that bad. More like a broken saxophone really."

This got the argument jumping again as now all three were snapping at each other until finally the vein on the bushy eyebrow boy couldn't get any bigger.

"ENOUGH!" he yelled out, echoing throughout the whole area. "Just shut up already, sheesh! And these people are your friends?"

Shorty shrugged "Nobody's perfect."

"Indeed, but still just…ugh. –Ahem- Anyway big goodbye bash, blah blah blah, payback yada yada yada got your friends and so on and so on. Umm…oh now I remember, now that the guests and guest of honor are all here time for the farewell festivities" He said with as much dramatic flair as possible. "Gents, ladies, lets give our good friend, the bully bounty, a send off she'll NEVER forget!

The thugs in the area laughed sinisterly in responds and began to close the circle around her, growing closer and closer. The goblin that was still in the thick of it and now had nowhere to run was beginning to sweat bullets.

"Oh crud, oh crud, oh sweet crud. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Or was it the other way around? Either way this is gonna hu…!"

Before he could finish they all pounced, dog piling on the girl (and goblin) in a quick flurry of punches and kicks, yelling all the way. Those on the tower (tied and standing) couldn't see how the girl was faring due to the thong of bodies on her. But that didn't stop the bushy eyebrow boy from smirking widely as he watched. Shorty's friends however were the exact opposite looking on with worried expressions.

Finally after about five minutes of relentless pounding, the bushy eyebrow boy whistled and the goons began to pile off of the girl one by one until her state was eventually revealed.

On the ground, heavily bruised and unmoving.

The bushy eyebrow boy's grin couldn't get any wider after seeing this and he soon began to laugh as hard as his lungs could manage into the night air.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! LOOK AT YOU NOW! NOT SO TOUGH WHEN YOU CAN'T TAKE ALL OF US ALL AT ONCE EH! THAT IS WHAT YOU GET FOR TRIFLING IN OUR BUSINESS! YOU WERE IN HIGH DEBT WITH KARMA AND NOW IT WAS FINALLY COME TO COLLECT ITS DUE!"

The boy then jumped down from the stage and made his way through the crowd to the girl's body.

"And now…." He said as he reached into his vest and pulled out a very larger then normal wrench and raised it over his head "…the final debt you own." He gave it a few twirls just to feel it out then let it drop toward her.

-THUD!-

The trio tied to the tower winched as they heard the blow drop, yet never heard anybody scream out which then prompted them to open their eyes and find a rather surprising sight.

Shorty's foo,t which had suddenly sprung to life, now found itself embedded in the bushy eyebrow boy's stomach. Ergo he his eyebrows were now sitting on top of two wide eyeballs that were bulging out of his head. Shorty then raised her head and shook it free of whatever was orbiting her at the moment.

"Ugh, sheesh. A lot rougher then usual but otherwise not bad." She pushed the boy back with her foot then got to her feet and dusted herself off.

"Ack…wha….huh!" The boy said as he tried to regain his bearing from such a sudden attack after a few minutes he finally regained his voice "What the hells going on here! You were on the ground…unmoving….and…"

"Yeah like you said, I had a debt to pay off." She grins as she bends down and grabs her gap. "Not my fault if some of you people haven't gotten any stronger since we last fought."

-DOM- The thugs that once administered the beating now looked on slack-jawed at this, the bushy eyebrow boys' going so far past the floor and into the ground.

"But…but…"

"Oh yesh, my thoughts exactly. And I was thinking I'd kick it for ruining my last day in this city." Shorty placed her cap back on her head "After all I was just hoping for a day with my friend. But hey if showing you guys the ground again is what you all really want. Well…" Shorty slowly twist the cap backwards then looked at the group with a wide grin "…I'll gladly take that as a constellation."

The bushy eyebrow boy's jaw snapped back into his mouth and he quickly shook himself before glaring fires with at his opposition.

"Fine, kid gloves are off! Guys no more love taps, CRUSH HER!"

-Cue Kaisei Joshou Hallelujah. First opening theme from Yu-Gi-Oh GX. (A/N: If you haven't heard the full song heres a awesome amv of it: http/ camera does a rotating shot with Shorty in the middle of the thugs. This goes on for a few seconds until the songs goes into the first two "Go Go" to which the camera zooms in on her as she rears back then punches the screen causing it to shake a few minutes till the word "**Moving Day**" appear on screen before the song really kicks into high gear and as such we return to the action as one of the thugs go flying by the others into a tree. The others watch this and winch but then turn their attention back to Shorty and charge her.

Two try to attack her at the same time but she ducks and they end up hitting other. As they go down another tries to attack with two batons. Striking rapidly but they are all blocked till Shorty high kicks the offender dazing him then brings her leg down on him, forcing him face first into the ground. Two more thugs charge her which Shorty decides to run. However they begin to the close the gap and lunge for her. But she goes into a handstand, causing them to miss. Not only that she twirls her legs around hitting both offenders and sending them flying to opposite ends of the field and even into a few of their comrades.

Shorty goes upright and onto her feet just as another thug attacks with some fast punches. She takes a few but then grabs one of the them with her free hand then hit him with the palm of her hand, sending him skidding across the field till he a clump of dirt. By this time bushy eyebrow boy is starting to sweat bullets and orders those that are still standing to go after her. Unknowest to him, his three captives are grinning and obviously enjoying the show before the camera cut behind them and we see that the boy from earlier is trying to cut their bonds with a yo-yo.

By this time, the song has entered the "trumpet" (A/N: 1:02 of the song if your following along) part where all manner of thugs coming out of the woodwork to attack the girl but she easily parries, dodges and counters their blows knocking them silly all around the field. Granted they get some hits in but not enough to slow her stamina and she quickly knocks them away. This goes on for a few more minutes till the part finishes and aquick cut close ups of two thugs as she her fist and feet hit them along in tune with the "Get on the deck" lyrics then she flip a bit, jump and lands on two during the next two "Get on the deck" part before jumping off them as the song goes into a short guitar riff and everyone watches as she flips through the air in slow mo.

As the song goes back to normal she land on the ground , spins one of her arms behind her back and hits the few remaining goons in her path. They land during the "Go Go" parts and the camera zooms up to the bushy eyebrow boy as he looks on in horror. The camera swirls around him and we see a rope hit the ground as well as a pair of feet touch down then begin to approach the boy.

Cut back to Shorty as we see still shots of her beating the remaining opponents as the song continues playing until the very last verse where the hits come rapid fast until Shorty jumps into the air then on a goon with her butt and takes a sitting position with her hand on her chin as she looking at the last one remaining: the bushy eyebrow boy.

"Um, heheh, perhaps I was a tad to hasty." He says nervously as he backs up "After all its you final day here and you deserve every remaining hour spending it with your friends, so I'll just be leaving now and…"

Suddenly a hand clasped onto the boy shoulder causing him to winch in fear as he didn't even need to turn around to know who it was "Oh…d…don't think I forgotten about you guys. No hard feelings about ruining your little shindig and kidnapping you and…ooh am so dead in the water now aren't I?

"Yeah pretty much" Shorty's friends said at the same time before the boy called over to Shorty "Oy Shorty, what you wanna do with him? Thrash him, smash him, or I don't know just beat him to a pulp." As the boy made the suggestions, the sweatdrops on their opposer's face became more frequent. However Shorty shook her head. "Nah, it would feel pretty cheap to beat an outmaned opponent whose too spineless to fight on his own. Beside he did give a pretty good group rumble for a send off. Haven't had those in awhile despite the weakness of this sorry bunch."

"Hehe, right all for you." Bushy eyebrow boy quickly stated "Just a little something to remember us by while your kicking butt over at…at…um where were you going again?"

"Townsville." The girl said simply though her opponent's eyes widen at this.

"Eh really? Wow compared to Orchid Bay that place is like…um I don't know the Grand Line of the mainland! Tens time tougher there it is here."

However no sooner then he finished saying this a small smile crept up on her face "I know."

Bushy eyebrow boy gasped at this "I…see well at the very least…I'll rest easier knowing you were crushed by a giant monster or caught up in some super villain's laser blast or…"

"YOU KNOW." Shorty interrupted him "There is one last thing I wanna do before I leave. Just a quick question to you guys, did you have a piñata in mind for my party?"

"No why would we get something so childi…Ooooh" The blonde girl said and four knowing eyes looked toward bushy eyebrow boy who suddenly came upon their frightening realization.

"Oh no, no NO!"

Cut to a zoom out of the forest

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The bushy eyebrow boy's voice echoed throughout the area.

-Sometime later, same area-

A brief rustling of foliage could be heard before someone stepped out of the trees and into the field. An Asian girl somewhere around the age of 11 dressed in a simple green t-shirt with a purple butterfly design in the middle, blue jeans and brown shoes.

"Sheesh, they need to clear out more of these trees here." She panted while she dusted herself off of the leaves "Am all for environmentalism, but it doesn't help me if I lose in target in the foilllaaaaaaaagee. OOF! What the-!"

It was then she notices that she had tripped over one of the still out cold bodies of the goons that tired to attack Shorty earlier. In fact the Asian girl notice that the whole area was littered with the bullies groaning as they were beginning to recover.

"Whoa, what happened here? Looked like a tornado blew through…or a horntail goblin. COME ON OUT I KNOW YOU'RE HERE. DON'T MAKE THIS ANY HARD THEN IT NEEDS TO…"

Suddenly she heard crashing from behind her and turned just in time to see her target come stumble from behind a tree scared out of her wits.

"Am sorry!…Am sorry!…I don't care what you do to me! I'LL DO ANYTHING! JUST GET ME OUT OF THIS CRAZY PLACE BEFORE THAT GIRL COME BACK!" He said before breaking down in sobs much to the Asian girl's surprise.

"Errr,…yeah." She said before patting him on the head "Uh there, there. Its alright now, as long as you learned your lesson." She looked around the area just to make sure whatever he was talking about was long gone. When she was sure it was, she sigh with relief.

"Sheesh, if one single person can do all this, I don't think I wanna meet em. Bad enough I have to deal with monsters. Fighting humans can be a heck of lot worse…they can actually think."

That said she lead the goblin away from the area unknowest that there was one more person in the area she didn't see. However how could she…

…he was tied to a tree, dangling upside down, and had a rope in his mouth that prevented him from yelling. Granted he did try to struggle but the branch he was tied to suddenly starting to crack prompted him to do otherwise. The only thing he could do was hang there, sob, and regret the day he tried to get final payback on a girl named Shorty Cakea as everything fades to black.


	2. The Big Goodbye

Moving Day

Act 2

We soon fade into a neighborhood as it becomes dawn over the city. Soon the sun begins to rise signaling the start of a new day…or at least for one house, the end of one life and the beginning of another.

"Huff huff huff, sheesh c'mon you slow pokes." A girl's voice called before she rounded a corner, showing that it was the same blonde haired girl from the night before. As she continues running, the camera suddenly freezes the scene midway. Something scans her and then displays the information as if it were on a computer screen.

Name: Eleanor Grayson Elizabeth Chemical a.k.a E.G.

Age: 13

Race: Caucasian

Talents: Machinery, Medicine (somewhat) and Chemistry, Sharpshooter.

After this message is display it disappears and everything goes back to normal as she continues running. "Shorty's house isn't even all that far from here, though with the way you guys move. I wouldn't be surprised if its empty before we even reach there!"

"Oh lay off already E.G.!" A voice called out from behind her before managing to catch up. This one belonging to the dog of the group as he ran alongside her, once again the screen freezes, there a quick scan and now his information appears on the screen.

Name: Rolly K-9

Age: 4

Race: Dog, half jack terrier, half unknown Chinese breed.

Talents: Talking, Sixth Sense (Enhanced hearing, smell, taste, etc) and cooking.

After a few second this eventually disappears and the action resumes to normal. "We can't all get up at six 'o clock the morning and still retain the energy from before." He then yawns a little "Especially before we had anything to eat."

"For once I agree with the pooch." The third and final comrade said as he closed the distance between them though lagging behind and falling in and out of sleep every now and then. And of course the screen freezes and scans the boy, showing his information.

Name: Rich Reshard Downer

Age: 14

Race: African American

Talents: Trickery and Music

The info comes and goes and action resumes once again as the three continue down the street. "Why in the greater heavens above do we have to do this so early?"

"Because, thanks to that bushy eyebrow idiot, Axel, all our party plans were ruined."

Quick to a cut freeze frame of the bane of their problems the night before and yet another computer scan.

Name: Axel Hatchet

Age: 14

Race: Hispanic

Talents: Machinery, Bullying.

After a few minutes of showing this information, a stamp comes across the screen reading "Taken care of" before flashing back to the trio.

"Yeah but…-yawn-…Shorty said she didn't mind." Rolly answered, "She liked the send off regardless."

"I know…but I just can't let her leave off half-baked like that. It wouldn't feel right. Especially as long as we've known her, don't tell me you guys don't feel the same way too."

"Well…yeah you have a point. But still six o' clock in the morning?" Rich groaned. "I don't think they're going to be getting set that early."

However no sooner then he said this, about four moving tricks marked "Frozen Horse Moving Company: The moving company with the silly name" passed them by and rode up the street. The three watched them go wide-eyed before E.G. looked at Rich with a smug expression.

"Oh c'mon that could be –yawn- for any house." He countered.

"Hmph, we'll see." That said she turned and ran full throttle to the back of the last truck then quickly grabbed the handle of the back door and hoisted herself up onto it.

"Ugh, crazy girl." Rich muttered "Anything to prove she right. But –yawn- I ain't got the energy to argue with her. C'mon Rolly."

"Way ahead of ya." The dog said as he hopped on the boy's shoulders "Full steam ahead!"

Rich growled a little but then summoned any energy in him and sped toward the truck. Once in range, Rolly hopped off his shoulder and onto E.G.'s and together they both pull Rich onto the back of the truck and all were soon hanging on tightly as the vehicle took them to their supposed destination.

* * *

The scene fades to a certain one story house. As the sun casts its light on the shadowed parts of the place, it soon reveals a sign with the words "For Sale" on it. Soon after this is shown we fade to the inside of said house where there are many boxes littered all over the place as one would find when they are getting ready to move. The camera then cuts to a few of the rooms that are now devoid of furniture, filled with nothing but boxes upon boxes. The camera then cuts to a master bedroom where we see two adults, a man and woman, sleeping on a mattress on the floor surrounded by more boxes. Finally we cut to a small room with a cot on the floor, boxes of various odds and ends too surrounding this as well.

As the camera scrolls across the room, a box soon appears in front of it with a familiar red cap hanging off the edge of it. The camera keeps going till it lands on a picture of the recently mentioned group above (sans Axel of course) all smiling and/or waving at the camera or giving a peace sign. And in the center of it all is the girl sleeping on the floor, grinning like an idiot along with her friends. The camera stays on the picture for a couple of moment until we hear the sound of a truck pulling up outside the house. The camera cut to the girl as she stirs and turn over till we can only see her eyes from underneath the covers.

"It's time." She mutters sleepily then yawns as she begins to get up…only to plop back down on the cot "I think it can wait for five more minutes" And instantly tries to head back to dreamland. However her thoughts turn to her friends and her past adventures in Orchid Bay as they took on all manner of bullies and jerks. And now here it was the end of the line. Grated Orchid Bay wasn't all that far from Townsville, easily accessible by the bus or a one hour drive for any vehicle for that matter…but still, Shorty couldn't help but feel this was the end of a era and as this thought crossed her mind, she let out a big sigh "I'll never admit it in front of those guys…but am really gonna miss em."

The sound of more vehicles pulling up by their house caught her attention and looking out her nearby window confirmed her curiosity, the moving vans were here "Ugh, better get up and get ready then." She muttered and soon she was on her feet…but quickly dropped back down on the mat "After another five more minutes." Shorty grinned.

Downstairs, the coming of the moving trucks had also caught her parent's attention even moreso when the doorbell to the place had started ringing. "Honey, the movers are here." The raven hair woman called over to her husband who groaned, "Ugh, they got here earlier then I though. I know I said for them to get here early but not give us the military wake up call."

The woman chuckled "Well nothing we can do about it now unless we wanna waste money paying them because we needed a few extra hours of sleep and…"

"Ugh alright, aright point made." The man groaned and began to get up. "You know that's really annoying when you're always right."

"Heh, somebody in this household has to be, besides isn't that the reason you married me?"

"Yes that and the…hehehe."

The woman just whapped a pillow to his head in response to that "Am kidding, am kidding" he chuckled muffled under the pillow to which she simply replied. " Go answer the door pervert." Her hubbie did as told wearing a bit of a grin on his face but composed himself before pulling the door open. "Morning guys, your awfully early this morning and… WAAAAH!"

His very audible thud alerts his wife and Shorty who quickly come running to the front.

"Dad/Honey! Are you alright!" Both females asked only to stop, blinked in unison, and then sweatdropped at the sight in front of them: Shorty's dad on the floor with Rich on top of him who was fast asleep.

"Err, I guess Rich wasn't kidding when he said it was a little to early to come here." Said E.G. who too was sweatdropping along with Rolly as well as the moving men who were coming up the walkway.

Shorty's father groaned, the most modified out of everyone there. "Um…anybody care to get sleeping beauty off me while your watching?"

* * *

Despite that awkwardness (and a couple of cups of coffee to wake everyone up), the moving of the Cakea family got underway as moving men, friends, and family alike loaded up the trucks with their belongings and furniture. All the while Shorty, Rich, E.G. and Rolly reminisced about the past. When they all first met over a misunderstanding when Rich was put on Shorty's bounty list which lead to a short fight against her and the show of both side's abilities which lead to much impressing all around. Eventually it was revealed that the bounty was a lie and finding out that Shorty just being used as a tool of revenge against Rich by her employer. In fact Rich was never doing anything of wrongdoing at all, something that Shorty was more then displease in since she didn't get all the fact straight though she did apologize to the group for her rash action.

After which, the four individuals decided to team up with one another and their first official adventure together had begin as they tracked down and give the perpetrator his comeuppance. However this wasn't without repercussions however as once they had defeated this bully more came out of the woodworks once they learn of their little encounter (apparently the bully they defeated had built up quite reputation around the area.) with their impressive (and sometimes odd) skills and gang sets of their own against the foursome. But through it all they persevered and grew stronger with each encounter while also learning to trust one another more and more, and of course unintentionally building a reputation of their own that soon made them shall we say…infamous.

But as the last of the furniture was being loaded up, their once nostalgic mood had turn somber as the four eventually realized it was time to say goodbye to which they all gathered by the Cakea's family car.

"So this is it eh?" Rich said "Your heading out to that city of "monsters",

Townsville was it?"

Shorty nodded "Yeah, but don't worry about me. You know I can take care of myself"

Rich: Trust me, I've seen you fight. I've no doubt you'll be alright down there. Though if your worried about us. Don't, we've been through more then enough bullies to hold our own and can hold down the fort here though I like to say its been fun but…well you know the pains from those fights and all."

"Hehe I swear you such a wuss Rich. If you've never met me all those bullies would've eaten you alive. But hey if you say so."

Shorty chuckled along with the two other friends at his expense once they notice the vein popping out of his forehead. However the expression on her face drooped a little before she reached into a nearby box and pulled out a shell like device. "Still… I want you to have this, its from one of my friends who are traveling at sea I've been pen paling, you know the one with the Pinocchio nose. Anyway, he calls it an Impact Dial that is said to be very useful in fights but to only use it as a last resort because the consequences will be extremely rough on your body. Am not one for weapons, so I don't need it but you might. Still remember what I told you alright? Last resort only."

Rich grabbed it and looked it over "Oh sure I guess I can put my enemies to sleep with the soothing sounds of the ocean." He said sarcastically but pocketed it nonetheless "Still I guess a little experimenting in order. Thanks."

"And don't think I've forgotten you guys. E.G. an early birthday present from me." She quickly reaches into her pocket though makes sure her parent weren't looking fore pulling it out. "My Hammerlock Swiss army knife. You have no idea how long I've been keeping this from my parents. They would've thought I was –OOF!"

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you." E.G. says as she bum rushed Shorty almost instantly upon viewing it. "I didn't think you would remember!"

"Yeah well…surprise, also you're crushing my ribs!" Shorty groaned to which the latter girl backed off.

"Hehe, sorry got carried away there. Still, this is a great, fifteen tools in one device. I can create more machinery then ever!" As she talks, flames soon begin to erupt around her. "I'LL BE AN INVENTING GOD IN NO TIME! YA HEAR THAT, IT THE SOUND OF EGGHEADS AND SO CALLED GENUIS TREMBLING IN FEAR OF THE COMING OF A NEW AGE! FEEL MY POWER! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Needless to say more sweatdrops all around "A little carried away she says." Rolly quips as he looks on. –Sigh- you humans sure are weird when see the smallest items of interest."

"Oh right Rolly, this is for you." Shorty says as she once again goes into the box and pulls out some rolled up socks reeking of meat smells. "A little chew toy for ya."

If Rolly's eyes could've gotten any wider they would've fallen off his face. "Gimme! Gimme! Gimmie! GIMMIE! GIMMIE! GIMMIE!" Shorty quickly threw it over his head to which he quickly chased after it and started gnawing on it like no tomorrow.

'Heh, well that's two presents you gave me." Rich grinned as he watched him go at it. "This shell thingy and a way to shut him up for awhile while am at the house."

"I heard that Rich!" Rolly yelled back "Doggy ears remember but…I can't turn away from the chewy goodness! Oh like a slice of heaven, it is." Shorty, E.G. and Rich couldn't help but laugh as they watched continue to mess around with it.

"Yo strawberry." A voice called out to them and all turned their heads to source of the voice, Shorty's father, obviously addressing her. "Time to get a move on, though I'll give you a couple more minutes to check the house if you've left anything and…you know."

Shorty nodded and turned to her three friends who all gathered around her in silence, wanting to say the obvious words but not sure how to bring it out and the more minutes that passed by, the more harder it became. Suddenly Rich held out his hand in the form of a handshake. "I know what I said earlier about not worrying about you while you're down there but…please take care of yourself."

"And your family." Rolly chimed in

"And as sappy and T.V. written as this sounds…we'll always be friends no matter what. Theres always have a hangout here for you whenever you need it, remember that." E.G. added

Shorty nodded, her mouth trembling a little "I will, and same goes to you guys too. Don't be a stranger…stop on by once I send you the address and…don't take on more then you can handle. No shame in retreating."

"Hehe, that's funny coming from a never say die girl such as yourself." Rich commented

"Oh shut up, wuss." She shot back…then unexpectedly hugged him as she couldn't hold it anymore and tears begin to run down her face. "Just…shut up."

Rich's eyes widen at this, as this was the last thing he expected her to do but eventually smiled and hugged her back. Followed E.G. and then Rolly who hugged her leg (A/N: And I mean hugged, GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTERS YOU SICKOS)

"Oh isn't this just precious." A voice said over the four causing all of their eyes to widen and turn to find Ms. Cakea standing there. After which they all broke off with different shades of red on their faces.

"Mom! Um w-w-when did you get here?" Shorty asked as she wiped away her tears, very embarrassed a little but her mother just chuckled. "Oh its alright sweetie and am sorry if I butted into your goodbye, I couldn't help myself. But its alright, I understand how you're feeling right now, so theres no need to be embarrassed. In fact…" She pulled out a camera from her bosom "…I was kinda expecting this. Hehe"

"Mom…." Shorty awed then shook her head and smiled "Heh should've expected that fast track brain of yours to plan something like this. Well c'mon, lets get it over with."

"B-b-but my hairs a mess and these aren't my right kinds of clothes plus…." E.G. started but was quickly grabbed by Rich "It's a picture girl, not the cover of Playboy magazine. Just watch the pretty birdy and prepare to smile."

"What birdy? Where? I don't see any." Rolly queried as he looked around while Rich just hung his head down and turned to Shorty. "Quite frankly girl, I think you got out just in time."

"Heh looks that way." She replied back but she obviously didn't mean it as she thought in the back of her mind. "Am REALLY gonna miss these guys."

"Say cheese." Ms. Cakea said as she held up the camera.

"Cheese…CAKE!" The four said then laughed as the flash went off and a bright light comes over the screen. When it subsided, we see Rich, E.G. and Rolly standing on the sidewalk near what was once their friend's house. All three waving as the moving trucks begin to pass them and follow the car in the lead to, speaking of which, the camera cuts to it as the back window rolls down and out pops Shorty who waves back. The screen suddenly freezes up once more and a scan soon comes over her.

Name: Shorty Cakea

Age: 13

Race: Mixed: Half African American/Half Italian

Occupation: Artist and…

The camera does some DOM, DOM DOM sounds as it zooms in on her before the next words come on screen from underneath which read.

"…Bully Bounty Hunter"

The screen then returns to normal as she continues waving and yells good-bye while her friends do likewise until her car and the moving van drive out of sight leaving the latter three by their lonesome.

"And…that is that I guess. I know its not a permanent good-bye but…still I still can't help but feel as if we're losing something dear to us." E.G. says sadly.

"Nah were not losing something" Rich told her putting an arm around her shoulder "In fact, am glad you got Rolly and me down here so early. She won't admit it but I think we just gave her the courage to face her next adventure outside of familiar territory. But make no mistake; we'll see her again."

Rolly chuckled "Heh we couldn't get rid of her if we tried."

This cheered E.G. up some and she wipe away a tear that was forming in her eye "Thanks guys."

"No prob." Rich said "Besides you still have us."

"Oh yeah that makes me feel better." E.G. said slyly with a grin as she perked up before turning down the sidewalk.

"Ah that's cool and…hey what's that suppose to mean?" Rolly shouted as he followed after her. Rich just rolled his eyes and began to follow after them but looked one last time down the street the moving vans had left too.

"Give em heck, girl." He said then turned to catch up with his friends. However as he rounded a corner, he almost tripped over a small Asian boy and his pug that were rushing from the other direction. "Oh sorry about that but pay attention to where you're going." He told the two before continuing on his way.

Once he was gone the pug spoke up in a Scottish accent "Sheesh, these early bird walkers. They always think they own the sidewalk."

"Yeah really." The boy said back "But forget him, we gotta get this info to Ah-Mah now! If this is what I think it is, we might finally be able to free June of the barrier around the city."

"Ah right, right. Tally ho laddie."

"Um dude, that's British."

"Whatever, just get your buns in gear."

And soon both were back on their feet and running down the side as the camera zooms into the sky above the city until we see a faint outline of another even bigger city in the distance separated from Orchid Bay by a body of water. However before we can make it out the screen fades to black.


	3. Welcome to Townsville

Moving Day

Act 3

-CLICK-

A spotlight shines down on a tree, a simple everyday tree that couldn't possibly be of any danger to anyone. However as the camera begins to zoom closer of it, quick cuts of monsters suddenly fill the screen before going to the tree then the monsters then the tree again and back and forth until the camera cuts to etchings that seem to resemble some kind of instruments. However before the camera can get any closer, an explosion suddenly sounds out and the camera cuts upward into the sky where we see a sudden circle of light hovering over the area that can best be described as a desolate wasteland. Eerie moaning could suddenly be heard before a dark colored claw stretched from the light before it shot forward toward the screen.

"WAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"Huh, WHA! SHORTY! ARE YOU ALRIGHT! HONEY PULL THE CAR OVER!"

"NO! no am fine. Just had a nightmare that's all!" Shorty said as she shook herself awake. "It's nothing."

"Oh, oh okay. Geez, gonna give me a heart attack and I don't think I can take it at my age." Mrs. Cakea says as she leaned back in her seat. "Disregard that last order sweetie."

"Yeah just give me a second to get my heart beating again." Shorty's father replied.

Shorty blushed a little from this and rubbed the back of her head "Yeah sorry about that, must've been that pizza from last night starting to catch up with me." She chuckled nervously though started to calm down a little. Still she couldn't help but feel a little disturbed "_That…felt way too real, it was almost like I was standing there, a front row seat to… whatever the heck that was. Whew, whatever kinda pizza can do that I gotta lay off of it."_

"Hehe, well I gotta say though that just the excitement prelude I needed, strawberry." Mr. Cakea stated, his voice ringing with enthusiasm "Because, DA DA DA DA DA DA! WE'RE HERE!"

"Huh, really?" Shorty asked, that sentence from him managing to jostle her awake. "So you mean were…"

She looks out the window to indeed see the structure of the Townsville buildings in the distance.

"Wow, it's a lot bigger then I thought it was." She said under her breath as she marveled at the sight of it. "So this is the ever famous Townsville I've been hearing so much about. Alright let's see what you got."

And indeed the city met the call as she and her parent continued to drive through it, starting with the main part of the city itself, where she realized looking from the outside of Townsville didn't do the city justice. Inside was even more amazing, buildings of every shape and size surrounding every corner of the eyes and jutting up as into the clouds and so stylized too, though she couldn't help but see there was a lot of construction sites around the city.

"Hmm well it is a big city, no law against prospering." Shorty thought out loud as they continued onward. Next was the park which she noticed was enormous, stretching far as the eye could see. Not only that but she notice it had a forest area and a lake to boot not to mention a….

"Volcano?" she quirked raising an eyebrow at this "Weird…but fits in well with the scenery. Must be an tourist attraction or something."

After which came the drive through Banzai Garden, the ethical part of town which interested Shorty greatly since she always wanted to learn about different cultures…well that and she could find a place to get imports P.

And so it went the family kept driving though the city, the Cakeas' liking what they saw so far as they continue onward. Eventually though they left the hi-rises and entered into the suburbs into the area know as Pokey Oaks however another strange sight soon met their eyes.

"Whoa, that's one heck of a treehouse." Mr. Cakea said as they passed by it, his daughter and wife awed at it. "Wonder what kind of materials they use for that kind of stuff? Must've cost them an arm and a leg."

"Yeah no kidding." Shorty muttered looking up at it "Unreal, am not sure if I wanna meet the people there or ask who their decorator is…oh."

Speak of the devil she happen to notice someone standing on the front lawn of the house the tree was jutting out from checking the mailbox, a bald-headed boy with a simple red sweater, khaki shorts and brown shoes not to mention sunglasses donning his face which were currently looking the car's way as it passed them by. Shorty looked back, her image reflected off his sunglasses, and unbeknownst to the two, both raised an eyebrow as they watched the other pass by.

"_Ooooooooookay_." Was all Shorty could think to herself before sitting back in her seat.

Eventually after a few more streets, the car turned toward a red two-story house with a sign that had the word "Sold" on it. It wasn't much to look at now but then again most uninhabited house usually weren't.

"Family, I christen thee the start of a new chapter of our life." Mr. Cakea stated as they all crowded out of the car and stood in front it. Him putting his arms around the two as they looked at their new dwelling "Welcome home."

* * *

Cue "C'mon, C'mon" by Smash Mouth as we go into a montage of the moving in process. As the workers got to it, grabbing boxes and furniture and moving it into the family new house while the Cakea directed what went to where and how this and that should go and if it looked better in one spot then it did the other and so forth much to the frustration to some of the movers. It didn't get any better when it was time to carry furniture upstairs (A/N: which am sure anybody whose ever moved into a two story building can detest). Granted it started from simple stuff such as mattress and electronic equipment but then got more difficult when it came to the bookcase, desks and dressers.

However they all eventually managed plus this little workload wasn't unnoticed as most of the other people in the neighborhood were watching. Though Shorty couldn't help but shake the feeling that some of those eyes weren't out in the open.

-BEEP BEEP- (Song ends here)

"Hmm, what's that?" Mrs. Cakea asked.

"Oh, hours over." One of the movers commented clicking off his watch " Wes gots get the moving trucks back to Mr. Wigglesten's trucking company or they'll be hell to pay….to which I mean we gotta pay and I's needs the money ma'am, I got an education to finish."

"Eh heheh, right well thank you for all you've done. We can take it from here." Mr. Cakea chirped however none of the moving men moved an inch, causing question marks to appear over Mr. Cakea's head.

"Um dad, I think they want a tip." Shorty pointed out to which Mr. Cakea chuckled in response.

"Oh, oh right, right. How silly of me." He said "Um, always pull out the chair, compliment when needed, be a gentleman and always pick up the check."

"……." Was pretty much the response in the room.

"I think Shorty meant a "monetary" tip, dear." Mrs. Cakea explained.

"Ooooooh, am sorry, my bad of course…that what you…meant." He said his voice dropping with either embarrassment or disappointment in having to pay more money as he reached for his wallet "Um five okay with you guys?" This question was followed by uneasier silence "Right ten it is, spend it in good health."

With that, the moving men shuffled on out back to their company, leaving the Cakea family to finish the job of unpacking and moving. Luckily there wasn't that much to unload and move around, so getting the rest of the major stuff unpacked was no sweat to the three. Soon the house was looking moderately lived in as the three plopped down on the couch to what was now their living room.

"Huff huff, whew took a few hours. But we…somewhat did it. We're almost moved in." Mr. Cakea smiled as put his arms around his family. "What'd ya think so far, Strawberry, since this is the first time seeing the new pad and the city?"

"It's….okay so far." Shorty shrugged "A little odd but then again odd is interesting. I don't know, I'll wait until I go out and explore the city tomorrow then we'll see."

"Oooh yeah, I knew there was something I was forgetting." Mrs. Cakea said starting to take a firm tone "We need to have a talk about your "hobbies" young lady."

"Ummm my drawings?" Shorty asked nervously with a small chuckle.

However the expression on both her parent's face said otherwise causing Shorty to slump into the couch and groan as the screens fades to black.

* * *

We suddenly cut to next morning over Townsville and the small neighborhood of Pokey Oaks as people begin to go about their business of getting ready for work or the day. One of such was a blonde hair man wearing extremely huge glasses that were much to big for him though it seemed to fit in with his appearance which screamed "Am a very out of touch with the time work dad" even though currently he was in his bedrobes and looking like he just slept in a trash heap as he shuffled to the front yard of his house, banging his leg on something.

"GAH OW! Ugh Deedee how many times have I told you not leave you Pony Pff bicycle in the yard after you paper delivery! Ugh sheesh, kids."

He then continues on his quest to the sidewalk to get the morning paper.

"YO! OLD MAN! DON'T BEND UP!"

"Huh? Am not old…WHOA!"

He quickly did as told as something red hopped over him and blurred down the sidewalk.

"WHOA GREAT REFLEXES MISTER AND SORRY ABOUT THAT!" The voice called out as it got further away from him. Once he was sure it was safe the man straighten himself up.

"Um…no problem." The man said as he stood upright with newspaper in hand…only to notice it was shredded by what looked like skate wheels. We then cut to said wheels as they continue along the sidewalks path the camera zooms up to show that it Shorty in her usual outfit only now carrying a backpack on her as she skated her way through the neighborhood.

"Okay its Saturday, meaning I have today and tomorrow to get acquainted with this town before I head to my new school." She said as she straightens her cap before grinning "So as a certain video game once said LET'S GET CRAZY!"

With a whoop she sped off down the sidewalk and through the neighborhood, though avoiding a few others who were out getting their papers. It was easy enough as she had practiced adding skating to add to her fighting technique, in fact it was one of daily training regiments.

However she almost ran into trouble when a car almost pulled out off a driveway on her though she was quick to react by flipping, sliding over the roof of the car, then flipping into the air till she landed on her feet.

"Whew, geez gotta be careful there." She reminded herself then quickly sped off before the driver could get a look at her "That was close…though I haven't seen a sedan in awhile, those are pretty ancient and was it my imagination or was that guy wearing a lab coat. Hmm." Short quickly shrugged it off and went on her way however no sooner the about a block away she run into another strange occurrence.

As she was beginning to straighten the back of her cap once more, she took little she glance upward and suddenly saw what she thought was a rainbow in the sky. But on closer inspection turned out to be made of only three colors. Shorty quickly rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things but by then it was gone.

"Errr…ooookay. Either that was what I thought I saw or I gotta get more sleep at night." She told herself then noticed that she was on a collision course with a couple of kids!

"Whoa look out!" One of them shouted in what sounded like an Aussie accent to Shorty though she focused more on steering clear of them. Much to her surprise they managed to get out of the way themselves with surprising agility. One of which Shorty noticed, was a girl with blue shirt with a white strip design and a red cap like hers only this one was turned forward covering her face, had to flipped clean over her. So mesmerize so was by this that….

--BAM—

…she ended up crashing into some nearby trash cans.

"Ugh, ow, that's a sore spot." she groaned then looked up to notice the kids were standing over her joining the kid that flipped over her earlier, one a blonde haired boy in an orange hoodie and blue pants the other a somewhat Japanese looking girl with an oversized green sweater on her that covered her arms. The latter of the three regarded her with questioning expression but the boy didn't seem happy at all.

"Oy, watch where you're going ya cruddy teenager! You almost pancaked into us!"

"Eh hehe yeah sorry about that. Was kinda day dreaming there for a sec…I think, though that "cruddy teenager" wasn't called for it was just an accident."

"Oh sure that's what you want us think then BAM! That innocent act won't work on me and neither did that sneak attack. I heard you coming a dial away!"

"? What the heck is he talking about?"

"He just being silly because he thinks your evil." The girl in the green sweater giggled causing even bigger question marks to dot Shorty's head.

"Um me evil?"

Suddenly the boy grabbed Shorty by her overalls "You got wax clogged up in those ears of yours. OF COURSE YOU'RE EVIL and now it's time to introduce you to my fists!"

His friend in the red cap jumped forward and stopped him from doing so however "WHOA! Hold on now, you can't just go on and attack anyone! And like she said it was just an accident. Sheesh use your brain sometimes." She then paused for a moment on that thought "On second thought just stand there and look at the clouds."

The boy give off a "hmph" and let Shorty go while the girl who stopped her turned to Shorty. "Ehehe, sorry. He just a little wound up after eating four bowls of Rainbow Monkey cereal. Add that to watching those Saturday morning cartoons and well…whoo. Hehe."

"Ah I see tis alright." Shorty said as she got up dusting herself off "No harm done, I guess. Though I wouldn't recommend doing that to other people in the future, you can make a lot of enemies that way."

"Heh rrrrrriiiiiiight." The girl in the red cap smiled "Well thanks for the advice miss and sorry for the mishap. Let's go guys."

"WHAT!" The boy said angrily " BUT THE TEENAGER AND…!"

"NOW!"

The shout was enough to echo through the neighborhood and enough to subdued the boy and follow the girl's order as her and the other girl began to head down the street. Though not before the girl in the girl sweater turned and waved back at Shorty.

"See ya around and welcome to the neighborhood!"

Her friend in the red cap quickly caught her by the arm and led her away till they were out of sight.

"Uhhh thanks." Shorty called backed most confused by the whole encounter. "Sheesh barely even scratch the surface of this neighborhood and already am running into weird neighbors." It was then a thought suddenly came to mind. "How did that girl know I was new to the neighborhood? I don't remember seeing her while we were moving our stuff in."

She thought it over for a minute then came to the conclusion one of her friends probably saw the moving vans and just relayed it to her. With a shrug, Shorty went on her way…

…Though didn't realize that the three kids hadn't fully left the area.

"Why the cruddy heck you let her go!" The boy in the orange hoodie demanded, as he and the girls were perched on a nearby roof of a house. "We could've ended it right there and snuffed out another teenage problem!"

"Because DOOFUS we don't have much intel on her yet meaning she may not be in league with Father and we could be attacking an innocent person!" The girl with the red cap answered back "You want what happened at the make out point to happen again, do you?"

The boy shuddered at that thought, he and his comrades having had to spend the night tied up while teenagers temporarily took over their tree house for a skating ring, though it was only fair seeing how his group had accidentally mustarded the new skating ring on Make Out Hill.

"Oh yeah good point but still what if she inmosquito or something? You know like a spy for the adults like your sister was?"

"She could be wearing a B.R.A.." The Japanese girl chipped in.

"Nah I checked when I flipped over her. There was no activation button or anything on her person so that was the real deal." It was then she noticed she was getting strange looks from her comrade "What?"

"You uh, heh touch the B.R.A.?" The boy asked starting to chuckled a little "Never pegged you to be the –WHAP- OW!"

"The activation button is on the BACK of the B.R.A. dummy." She told him as she put her hat back on from hitting him with it. "Sheesh how you stopped Chad in that slumber party mission is a miracle in itself."

"Pfft that traitor was easy pickings, B.R.A. or no. Beside you know am not into all that girly girl stuff. So how was I supposed to know?"

"So you wearing that girly outfit on that mission was just playing dress up?" The Japanese girl asked causing the boy to winch and blush a little.

"T-t-that wasn't dress up! That…that was a professional K.N.D. disguise so I could umm infiltrated the mission and make suure those girls didn't screw everything up. That's all!"

"Suuuuurreee you did." The girl in the red cap chuckled before turning her attention back to Shorty who by then was down the block "Hmm definitely fits the description Numbah 1 gave us when he saw her moving in. She seems harmless enough…though Numbuh 5 guess a background check on her wouldn't hurt just in case. C'mon let's get back to the tree house and add her to the database."

The girl known as Numbuh 5 hopped down from the house they were on and headed in the direction of their treehouse with the other two kids in tow. As she did so, she looked into the palm of her hand that held a strain of orange hair in it.

"_Heres hoping you won't need to be meeting our "welcoming committee", baby._" Numbuh 5 thought as she closed her hand over it.

* * *

We cut back to Shorty as she continues skating through the neighborhood and toward the city of Townsville itself taking in all the sight and sounds. First by going near the coast of the city (which wasn't that far from Pokey Oak) and admiring the oceanside since she hadn't been near the ocean in awhile since childhood. She quickly took out her drawing utensils from her backpack and started sketching the landscape.

However during such she couldn't help but notice a small island with a giant "T" in the middle of it. "Huh must be one of those monuments like the Statue of Liberty or something. Still why a "T"?" She thought to herself while she sketched it.

Next was through most of the urban distract in the area which lead to her coming across a moderate building…with what looked like a lab on top of it making it stick out amongst the neighborhood. Add to the fact that green lighting seems to keep emitting from it and well, lets just say getting creep out was taking to a whole new level to Shorty.

Near the halfway marked toward Downtown she came upon another construction site of an half completed building though there was a sign showing an finished model of it, however she was having trouble making out the name of the place on it.

"Umm it supposes to be an Academy." Somebody said behind her causing Shorty to jump up startled, she quickly turned to see it was a purpled haired woman in her late 20's wearing a simple pink shirt, white pants and shoes. In her arm she was carrying an eight year old girl also purpled hair with a purple sweater blue pants and purple shoes.

"Oh am sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. Just looked like you were really stumped reading the sign there."

"Hehe, am getting used to it. An academy huh? But I thought there were separate schools across the city?"

"Oh there are, but due to all the damage this city takes. Its pain on the taxpayer's money to pay for them when they take hits, so finally after awhile the city thought it would be better to throw all their eggs in one basket and make a school with the cooperation for all of the distracts so the kids can go to one school."

"Oh so this academy…"

"Yep…is going to the central education for every youth in this city, um when its built of course. And not a moment to soon, that Pokey Oaks center was getting a bit to far to walk to pick up my little Apple. Isn't that right honey." The girl simply giggled in response before the woman turned back to Shorty. "Hmm now that I get a good look at your face, I don't recall ever seeing you around the neighborhood before."

"Oh we just moved her yesterday, ma'am. Names Shorty Cakea."

"Ah what a cute name. Well nice to meet you miss Cakea. This is my daughter Apple and am…"

The sound of an airplane flying overhead suddenly drowned out what she was saying, causing her to look up annoyed.

"Ugh lousy airplanes. They always liftoff late in this area."

"Ah that's okay, I got it. And I have to say it's a very cute name too."

"Oh why thank you." The woman blushed though Apple just rolled her eyes then noticed her watch and quickly motion her mom's attention to it.

"-Gasp- Gah am gonna be late for my yoga class! Oh thank you mentioning it honey, we better get to Vicky's fore she charges me extra on being a minute late on her babysitting fee. It was nice meeting you…Shorty was it, I hope we meet again sometime and welcome to the neighborhood."

"Likewise and thank you." Shorty called back as she watched the two hurried on their way with Apple smiling and winking at her. "Heh cute pair." Shorty chuckled.

After this encounter, Shorty finally managed to reach the city where it was even bigger then ever from outside of a car though luckily she was given a map by her parents as to find her way back though at the moment she took advantage of it to explore around and get familiar with the city. Doing so through sketches of various place she visited and there was a lot to check out in a city this big. But to Shorty the bigger always meant more exploration to be had and if it was one thing that she enjoyed it was exploration especially when you could trick off of new surroundings hehe.

"Not bad, not bad." She said to herself as she balanced herself on top of a nearby flagpole "Interesting sights, some odd but polite people, plenty of room to maneuver around and object to trained off of. The city looking more appealing by the second, though it's missing a certain…something. AH-HA!"

She jumped from the pole, landed on the sidewalk in the midst of some very startled people and skated down the street till she reached her destination.

"Now this is what am talking about." She grinned while viewing a building with the word "Arcade" written on the sign in neon all the while a light shined down on it and an unseen chorus sung out "Hallelujah"

"Now…I can truly call this place home"

End of Act 3.


	4. Bad Vibe

Moving Day

Act 4

-BAM-

-BOOM-

-POW-

-ZONK-

-KAPOWY-

-ZAP-

-CONTINUE?-

-GAME OVA-

These sounds were pretty much music to Shorty's ear as she entered into the haven of coin-operated video games. All around kids, teens and even the occasional adults were pumping in their hard earned money for brief moments of video game delight, be it on their own, with a friend or against friends as they challenged digital opponents in combat in some form or another. Graneted in this day and age the home console had far surpassed the arcades and places like thes were indeed a dying breed. Despite that though Shorty could always find herself comfortable in places like this, it was roughly her home away from home back in Orchid Bay and now she found it once again this time in Townsville.

"Whoa. They got everything here! Old school and new, ah a perfect mish-mash. And there coin operated too, not like those card swiping systems. I never could use those rig..…OOOOH THEY GOT PUMP IT UP: THE PERFECT COLLECTION!" She nearly squealed causing most of the people there to look at her funny "Hehe, sorry am new here." She muttered then quickly headed for the cashier to get some change. As she does so the camera follows her then stops on an arcade machine with two boys currently at the stick and judging by how fiercely they were going at it. It could only be presumed they were playing a fighting game.

"Ah c'mon stop turtling!" One of the boys complained as he tapped on the controls.

"Heh whose turtling? You just don't know when to block; I thought you said you were an expert at this game. So far your not exactly living up to your claim pal." Answered a boy wearing a blue t-shirt with green jeans and sneakers not to mention brown hair that was able to covered his eyes.

"Well I would if you WOULD LET ME GET AN OPENING IN!"

"Ah you know what. Am a gracious player, see my hands are off the joysticks. One free hit. C'mon and take it."

"Ho ho, you are so gonna be sorry you did that. YAAAAH!"

His opponent's eyes widen for a bit but he then nodded in respect. "Ah not bad, not bad. But…too little too late pal, BAM!"

There was huge scream from the machine followed by a "K.O." from the announcer while the victor of the battle grinned at his opponent who gave him a forlorn look.

"Hehe, you got the moves kid. But next time, do it when you're not on your last life bar. Mmm'k."

"Tch whatever." His opponent, a brown haired boy wearing a white shirt with a black strip design on the side of it, green pants and sneakers entered his initials for the score list then sulked away from the machine "Next time I play with Buttercup, then we'll see who'll be on their last life bar, you cheating…."

"I heard that." His opponent called out but the boy paid it no mind and kept walking till his eyes caught a dance machine in a corner. Checking his pocket to see if he had the right change for it and confirming he did, the boy headed over to the machine only to reach it just when Shorty did.

"Oh am sorry, you wanted to go first?" She asked.

"Huh, oh no you can go ahead. I can wait."

"Nah, let me save ya the trouble, you can play doubles with me."

"Uh I don't know am still kinda new at this game. Don't wanna lose the game for ya."

"No it's cool. I can impress ya and teach ya at the same time. Names Shorty btw." She said presenting his hand to him.

"Yo, Ben Tennyson. Nice meeting ya." He said shaking it "Now lets do some gameage and bust a move!"

"Heh try to keep up with me" She grinned as they put their money in.

* * *

We suddenly find ourselves in nothing but dark with no sight or sound. However the sound of machinery is suddenly hear before a loading sign takes over the screen followed by the K.N.D. logo

"Welcome to the Kids Next Door H.A.I.R.C.L.I.P: Human Aura In Really Close Location Identification Placement program, please insert hair sample now."

A slot for the computer opens up followed by a hand that puts in a sample of a red hair.

"Thank you and one moment please."

* * *

The front of the arcade where those there are messing around with the crane machines and indoor rides (such as the cowboy one with the western movie playing in the background). However when the entrance doors slide open to let the next game players in, those that saw them quickly did a double take then gasped and got away from the their games in play, hiding behind the machines. The one that was riding the cowboy hit a button on the machine that ejected him from the saddle and into the roof. 

However whatever spooked them wasn't interested in them and continued to pass the frighten patrons by and venture further into the arcade.

"Scanning complete bringing up information now"

A 3-D wire fame of a person displayed itself on the screen though little by little it began to come into form. All the while information on this particular individual was beginning to write itself on screen.

* * *

At the snack bar of the arcade, a few of the patriots were enjoying some the usual fast food that was being offered there, but when one of the snackers noticed a looming shadow over him and turned to find out what it belonged to. He quickly dropped what he was eating and got out of dodge. Seeing this, the rest of the people also began doing likewise and soon the bar was empty save for whatever spooked them as they began to snatch up the free food left and right.

The wire fame of whom the hair sample belonged too was finished, as was the information that was gathered. Afterwhich, a small screen of the map of Townsville displayed itself and marked the location of the person in question

"Hmm, interesting." the reader of the files muttered

* * *

-BONK-

"Hey, who threw that!" Yelled a voice of an arcade patriot only to widen his eyes when he sees who did it "Oh sorry didn't know it was you, carry on." To which whomever he was speaking too did: throwing wrappers, empty candy boxes and soda cups at him before passing him by while those that saw this quickly scampered out of the way. Little by little the arcade was soon beginning to clear of it gamers save for those that were in the back.

* * *

"Let's see born in a small town called the Cit-Burbs, stayed there till she was five until after an…incident at a karate dojo with her sensei forced her parents to move from the city after a public out lash. Before that however, reports of fights between some of the students of the dojo broke out…almost all involving her in some way."

The reader raised on eyebrow over his sunglasses on this sentence.

* * *

-KO! Bubbles wins again-

"Woot! Alright! Beat the high score, I am officially a gaming legend, err…at least on this machine anyway. Just gotta enter the initials and…"

A hand suddenly slammed down on the console of the machine causing the boy to jump a little. Once he was sure it was a hand, he followed it till he came face to face with the owner of it.

"Oh, hey Ace." He said, his voice transforming to an bored tone that really didn't back up the welcome "Hows it going?"

"Good, good." Answered the oddly green skinned, multi-colored vest wearing, greasy hair teen as he grinned slyly at the boy "I mean you know the usual: shaking kids up for money, sleeping on park equipment, graffiti-ing the buildings, that kind of stuff, but yet something bothering me. I come in here with the boys to relax and have a good time at the arcade and what do I find to ruin the day? MY high score about two rows down and the top one reading someone else's. You wouldn't happen to know whom those initials belong to do ya? Cause as you know my buds and me rule this turf of the area. And one simple, simple little rule is to keep your high score lower then moi. That shouldn't be too hard to remember, eh?"

"Of course" The boy said continuing in his bored tone "You are, after all, the king of this domain. Especially considering "you know whose" hardly ever checks this part of town."

The grin on Ace suddenly got wider once that was mentioned, "Yeah ain't it cool?"

* * *

"After that ugly little mishap, she and her family moved to Orchid Bay and lived there till this current date. A few more accounts of her getting into a few fights but nothing as major as the last incident. Hmm"

The reader types in something on his comp activating a separate window, at first nothing of interest comes up to him. Then one website seems to hit the mark.

"Pirates?"

* * *

"Hey you lied! You're not half bad at this game!" Shorty proclaimed noticing that Ben was matching her move for move on battle mode

"Heh, yeah. Sorry about that, just a new tactic to throw my opponents off." He grinned slyly "Though obviously you got skills in those feet of yours."

"Thanks." She beamed then suddenly during a lull in the song, jumped on the cabinet of the arcade, flipped then landed on a couple of squares with her hands before turning upright again.

"Whoa!" Ben exclaimed almost losing his place within the arrows "I take that back, your whole BODY a dancing machine."

Shorty smirked slyly "Thankee again and congrats, you survived my D-MESMERISER move. Just a little tactic of my own."

"! You tricky….heh alright then. Now its getting interesting."

Shorty couldn't help but agree noticing that boy had to be roughly ten years old and yet was still managing to keep up with her. "_No doubt this kid good." _She couldn't help but think however this was interrupted by a huge shadow that loomed over the two of them.

* * *

"Thats odd, her description fits in with a bunch of pirate incidents over in Japan a few years before. Huge fight and damages to the surrounding areas from an intense battle. And whats more, she claimed to be in league with the crew. Hmm but if that true then why is she here and not with them?"

The reader queried this as he typed in something more on the computer.

* * *

"Well am not sure I've seen the person your looking for, Ace." The boy said in monotone "But I'll make sure to remind him if I ever see him."

"Ah cool and to make sure, let's remember the name of the offender, eh? Let's see, B.I.N." Ace then suddenly gasped in mock surprise "What a coincidence, that's the first three letters in your name."

The boy raised an eyebrow "So it is, what of it?"

Ace shook his head while clicking his tongue "Aw c'mon now. You know am a reasonable guy, especially as long as you've known me. Why don't you just come clean about it and make it easier on yourself."

"I would but then again you have no proof that that's not another B.I.N." The boy pointed out nonchalantly. "Jumping to conclusions a bit aren't we, Ace. Then again that wasn't exactly one of your bright points."

The present grin on Ace's face morphed into a frown as he straighten his sunglasses "Alright then if that the way you want it. BOYS!"

"YESSSSSSS?" A slender looking equally green face boy in a white shirt and orange cap answered, almost slithering up to their leader. This was followed by a short stumpy looking boy in a red dress shirt and his hair covering one of his eyes, And lastly a very hunched over looking boy that seem to have a hump and was dressed in rags while his eyeballs were bulging out of his sockets.

"Seems we have a trouble maker in our little slice of paradise who doesn't like telling the truth." Ace's glasses slide down his face showing a very menacing glare "Let's show him what happens to lairs in our neck of the woods."

His gang laughed in response to the idea and soon began to advance on the boy. However their leader perked up and rose an eyebrow "Whoa whoa whoa, hold on a minute? Something feels out of touch here." He then looked over the group "One, two, three, four…oh for the love of…Wheres Big Billy!"

* * *

"No known records of the pirate crew save for a couple of pedestrians who witnessed the incident. Let's see then."

He clicks a link that brings up a rather blurry picture of the battle sight in question.

"-Sigh- Typical, always count on tourists to get the Kodak moment." The boy said sarcastically before announcing "Computer, enhance the picture."

"Processing"

Slowly but surely the picture started to focus bring the blurry images into view until finally the picture could be viewed…and the reader's eyes widen.

"………Whoa"

* * *

"Um can we help you?" Shorty asked a rather large looking and very portly green skinned boy wearing a green shirt and blue jeans with his orange hair covering most of his face, And judging by his stance he didn't look at all smart neither.

"Duh, Billy likes music from the game. Billy wanna dance! Let Billy dance!"

"Um, were still playing here. So your gonna have to wait your turn." Ben told him trying to alternate talking to him and watching the arrows on the screen.

However the dope wasn't giving it up. "DUH BIG BILLY WANNA DANCE! BIG BILLY WANNA DANCE!"

He then started jumping up and down, throwing Shorty and Ben off balance from the shakes.

"Hey, KNOCK IT OFF!" Ben yelled trying to hold onto the game's railing, "WE WERE HERE FIRST!"

-DOM-

Suddenly a very dark shadow appeared over Billy's face much to the shock of the two gamers.

"Billy said he wanted to dance. So Billy IS GOING TO dance!"

His arm suddenly reached out and grabbed Bens'' who then started to tug against it.

"Hey let go me of you big loser. I said this is my game, LET GO!

Shorty begin to growl as she watched this, her grip tightening on the handle bar before starting to approach the brut by but then something suddenly came to mind.

-FLASHBACK, Shorty's house the day before-

"Now Strawberry" Mr. Cakea starts "We know living in Orchid Bay was no picnic and that you needed to protected yourself.

"But did you think we wouldn't know that most of those fights were on your behalf?" Mrs. Cakea asked sternly "What have we told you about starting fights young lady?"

"Uh…but mom they were for good reason." Blurted Shorty "They were causing trouble around the area so…."

"WHAT they do is their own business and that of their parents. Just make sure that YOU don't start it yourself." States Mr. Cakea

"Or get involved in other people personal problems." Ms. Cakea adds "Because then they become our problem and this cycle of fighting will keep continuing till someone is badly injured…or worse.

"Like that incident with the karate scho…" Mr Cakea started but he quickly stops himself while his wife shot him a nasty glare and Shorty gasped a little before hanging her head down.

"Am…sorry Strawberry. I didn't mean to bring that up, what were trying to say is promise us you won't get into any unnecessary fighting if you can help it okay?"

Shorty sat on the couch in silence for a minute before finally answering

"Okay, I promise…for you guys."

-Back to present day-

"_I…made a promise. I told them I wouldn't fight unless I had too." _

"BIG BILLY WANNA DANCE!"

"Well go dance out in traffic, am not handing over my game to…MY GAME!"

He turned toward the screen but by then it had reached the grading screen…with Ben being given a big fat "D"

"You…you…MADE ME LOSE MY GAME! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH IT COST TO PLAY THIS THING!"

Apparently Billy didn't "BIG BILLY WANNA DANCE!"

"Oh I'll give you something to dance about, A SNEAKER TO THE FACE!"

-POW- Ben's kick hit dead on toward B.B.'s face and remained there for awhile with no response from his victim for a few minutes. Least till B.B. suddenly started laughing.

"HAHAHA, You kick like a old lady, it tickles" The idiot said muffled through the shoe "Let me show you how Billy does it!"

Billy grabbed Ben by his leg, the one he hit him, and then effortlessly pried it off of him before throwing the boy into a photo booth.

"Ugh….ow. So…wanna fight huh?" Ben groaned shaking getting to his feet "Well bring it on!"

"_No please!" _Shorty pleaded in her mind "_It not worth it over a video game!"_

But to no avail Ben charged at Billy and threw a few swings at his stomach. But it was no good, Billy just stood there laughing as each blow came, it was obvious they wasn't reaching more then a tickle. Eventually Ben began to tire, indicated by his speed slowing down.

"Awww, you don't wanna tickle Billy no more?" The brut grabbed Ben's arm and hoisted him up to his level "Then it Billy's turn to tickle."

He then through Ben into the air then let him fun, however once Ben was near Billy's stomach, Billy charged and knocked him into a couple of arcades. But it wasn't over, Billy soon rushed over to him.

"CANNONBALL!"

And did exactly just that trying to crush Ben. Luckily the boy recovered enough to move out of thewas as the lummox impacted. However something suddenly caused him to fall over and Ben saw his leg was once again grabbed.

"Oooh new game, let's play ROUND THE WORLD!"

Billy once again threw Ben into the air, this time catching him by his legs and spinning him around the room. As he did so, he crashed into different arcades, though most of this was due to Billy's girth Ben still was taking damage from it. All the while Shorty stood there watching it.

"_He brought it on himself. He brought it on himself. Remember that." _She thought and closed her eyes to block out the sight while tightening her grips even more on the handlebars of the dance machine.

"YO! BIG BILLY! THERE YOU ARE!"

"Huh?" Both he and Shorty sounded out and turned to see it belong to Ace as he and his posses came onto the scene dragging the boy they were talking to in tow. "Geez, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times! When were going to teach somebody a lesson stay with the group! How are we suppose to look all intimidating when our biggest man isn't there?"

"Duh, sorry Ace." said Billy who still had a very hurt Ben in his hands "Billy forgot, wanted to play dance machine but the mean boy wouldn't let me."

"Oh, another trouble maker." Ace grin devilishly "Oh this is too perfect cause you see I stopped by the security office on my way over here and happened to notice you two were really going mano e mano on the Powerpuff machine. Since you two seem to be the best of competitors how about this, a game of truth or dare: Gangrene-style!"

-DOM- -DOM- The screen splits in two to show Ben and the boy gasping at this. Before the screen rips down the middle to revel Shorty who is just as shocked.

"Here how it works, either you" Pointing to the boy he talked to earlier. "Tell me the truth that those initials are indeed the first of your name or…well let just say that whatever I dare, Billy will make happen to your little friend here." Pointing to Ben "Oh and did I mention there is a time limit, ten seconds and counting"

Both Ben and the boy gritted their teeth at this, the boy that the offer was made too clenched his "fists" and slowly spread his legs apart without the gang even notice.

"And five, four, three, two, on…"

"Isn't this all a little extreme just for some video game!" Shorty blurted out causing Ace to almost fall over and all heads to turn toward her. " I mean really a high score, whose gonna care about that! There nothing but shallow prizes within a virtual and fictional world and they mean squat in the long run. So it worth hurting a couple of innocent boys over, so GET OVER IT AND LET THEM GO!"

Silence hung in the air for a few minutes before Ace regained his composure, straightening his sunglasses before walking up to her.

"Just….who are you, toots? You're a face I've never seen in my arcade before."

Shorty narrowed her eyes and glared back at him "Just someone who getting used to this city and hates pointless violence, that's all."

"Ah, well let me laid some ground rule down on ya noob." Ace said "Around here, WE make the rules. We're gracious enough to share it with the other game goers in this part of town as long as they remember what we told them. Then everything peachy keen, but often times examples have to be made such as these fine gentlemen are proving today. Now I rather not have to do that to a girl if I can help it…well save for three little annoyances" he muttered under his breath "But DON'T think I don't have the guts to do so, so I'll overlook your little outburst this once and let you leave here with a warning. Otherwise, heheh."

He stepped back and motion to the others in his crew to move aside, which they did forming a pathway to the entrance for her. Shorty continued to glare at them before looking at the Ben and the other boy.

"They brought this on themselves, its none of my business." She said to herself then faced forward and started walking toward the exit.

"Heh, nice to see people have brains in them. Smart decision, toots." Ace grinned, "You see guys. She knows the rules of the game and her place here even if this is her first visit. You could really learn from her, unlike you guys she could tell that me and the boys aren't to be messed with if she knows what was good for her."

Shorty roughly ignored all of it and reached the door putting her hands on the handle

"Hmph, so what if she does." Ben growled, "You think am afraid of you and your puke colored friends. I don't care how many rules you have here, this arcade is for everyone and I won't stand by and let you take it as if it was you own playtoy. Unlike her I WON'T QUIT!"

The other boy then smiled and nodded "I have to say I agree with him. Every last word of it."

Ace just smirked at the two before raising his head up to the ceiling "-Sigh- Have it your way. Boys, LINE EM UP!"

The other members of the gang did as told and threw Ben and the unnamed boy against a wall at the far side of the arcade. Ace put his hands together in a square shape as if he were trying to focus an angle then turned to Billy.

"Billy, I dare you…to crush these guys like bowling pens!"

"Oh but Ace, won't they really be crushed if –SMACK- Ow!"

"That the whole point Snake!" Ace answered annoyed after smacking him but then brighten up "Because unlike real bowling pin, they won't be intact!"

"Duh hahaha. BILLY LIKE BOWLING!" Billy tucked his hands and legs into a fetal position taking on the properties of a ball. The other four in the group then began to push him til momentum took over and Billy was on a rolling collision course with his two targets.

* * *

-WOOOT WOOOT WOOOT-

"Huh what?" A chubby boy in a blue shirt, kaki pants and fly gear on his head asked as he looked up from his workstation underneath a school bus that had odd flight attachments on it.

"It's a level 5 alarm c'mon!" The girl known as Numbuh 5 yelled. Pretty soon she, him, the Japanese girl and the orange hoodied boy were soon racing down the wooded pathways of their treehouse to a central room and quickly sat around the tire wheel that was their "war desk".

"Okay were here, Numbuh One. Whats the emergency!" Numbuh 5 asked

"Team, I have come across a startling discovery during the routine check of this new teen that has entered the neighborhood." He said with grave concern. "It seem my suspicious of her weren't just coincidence."

"HA I KNEW IT" The boy in the orange hoodie jumped up "I KNEW WE SHOULD'VE TAKEN CARE OF HER FROM THE START! BUT NOOOOO! YOU HAD TO PLAY THE PACIFIST NUMBUH 5 "SHE MAY BE AN INNOCENT" WELL SHE AIN'T LOOKING SO CUDDY INNOCENT NOW DOES SHE!"

-KONK-

He falls over in his seat with two X's dotting each eye. A turnip suddenly falls near his face.

"Hmph, you also said keeping these turnips around would be a bad idea. But Numbuh 5 seems to keep finding uses for them. Heheh. Um -ahem- so continue Numbuh 1 whats so bad about her?"

Cut back to the Billy the "bowling ball" rolling toward Ben and the unnamed boy, the two pinned by short space. The unnamed boy squat his knee and rears his hands back just as Billy about to reach him.

-BAAAAAM!-

Cut to Ace as he eyes begin to widen, so much so that they knocked off the glasses from his face, to his gang are who are also beginning to bulged their eyes from socket (the one in rags even moreso). Then To Ben whose expression is that of absolutely shock and finally to the unnamed boy as his eyes widen through his strains of hair. Camrea zooms in on these eyes to shown the refection of Shorty's back in them.

"Seems this teenager is far from being defenseless" Numbuh One voice tells as he talks over the scene "Since she is well versed in the ways of martial arts, not only that but her style is very unique as there is no certain category for it but it is powerful all the same."

"Okay so we know she a fighter. Not like we haven't dealt with them before" The chubby kid's voice said "Why the alert?

We then cut to Shorty's backside as her hair slowly moves out of the way to reveal her face that has a very dark and stern expression on it.

"Am getting to that." Numbuh one's voice continues " During her period in Orchid Bay, the girl took part in an exchange program that sent her to the continent of Japan. All seemed well and good till a visit to the city of Tokyo where she encountered a group pirates also visiting there, a fight broke out between them and her and the battle raged on for hours."

The camera then zooms out to show that Shorty has her leg raised and her foot implanted on Billy who seems to have come to complete stop.

"It is unknown what the reason was that sparked the fight or who this pirate crew was but what it is known that the fight ended in a draw and the pirate crew named this girl as one of their own, settling the matter peacefully."

Shorty looks up and focus toward Ace before a wicked grin comes across her face.

"Oh did I forget to mention…" Numbuh One's voice adds

Shorty then rears back her leg.

"That their fight…."

She suddenly grits her teeth and her eye go wide as her leg reaches the maximum limit.

"…Leveled an entire section of the city!"

Split screen shots of Numbuh's comrades come across the screen as they gasp at this news, save for the one who got beamed with a turnip as he still on the floor. Suddenly the screen cracks then shatters like glass revealing Shorty behind it as she brings her leg forward yelling…

"HAWK…LEG…MISSILE!"

The screen suddenly flashes bright as the attack impacts against it.

"To say the least this is very, VERY bad." States Number One's voice through the whiteness of the screen.

End of Act 4


	5. King or is it Queen? of the Hill

Moving Day

(A/N: For those confused why Ben didn't go alien in the last chapter, its because this takes place before his summer road trip. Thus he doesn't have the Omintrix right now.)

Act 5

The whiteness fades back onto Numbuh One as he stands there among his team with a grave expression on his face while said team continues to look on shocked. Finally Numbuh Five spoke up.

"Whoa whoa whoa hold on, so you mean to tell Numbuh 5 that this teenager actually, ACTUALLY demolished a part of Tokyo all by herself?"

"Not by herself as there were other fighting as well but like I said it raged on for a long time and there was plenty of collateral damage. So there a good chance most of that damage was done on her part."

"Okay I understand she could be dangerous, but what that got to do with us?

"Plenty, we need to investigate further whether she with Father or not. If she isn't we'll leave her be while keeping a watch on her. And if she is…let's give her our greetings of K.N.D. proportions."

"YAY! Were gonna throw the strong girl a welcome party!" Cheered the Japanese girl while waving her sleeves in the air "Oh oh, can I do the preparations for the party Numbuh One, can I, can I, can I?!"

Numbuh One looked at her with a look of utter disbelief before slamming his head on the podium.

8888

-BOOOOM!!!-

A great deal of dust formed from the impact at the far end of the arcade. When it cleared a huge greenish figure was stuck into the wall, held only by the imprint he made into it. Eventually he came unstuck, slides off and onto the ground, groaning in pain.

"B-B-Big Billy?" Ace choked out after managing to get his voice back from the sudden attack. The rest of his gang mates just as stunned (well save for Grubber, whose face seem stuck in that position P) until all eyes slowly turned back to one who put Billy into that position in the first place.

"What…what just happened?" Ben asked bewildered "We were on the verge of being crushed and the next thing I knew, the big oaf suddenly a wall ornament." It was then he turned to Shorty. "What did you do to him?"

She didn't turn to him, instead rubbing her right leg as she kept her sights on the green skinned hoodlums. "You two alright?"

"Nani?" The brown-haired figure asked

"Did they hurt you badly or anything?" She asked once more.

"Well no." Ben started "I uh….I mean nothing we can't handle. What about you, you looking for a medal or something? Trying to be all dramatic and be the big hero!"

Shorty frown toward him "I guess I deserved that, let just say my conscience was taking a nap at the moment. But am here now and ready to do what I've should've done from the get go." It was then she proceed forward to the group, he eyes particularly aimed toward Ace.

"W-what do you think you're doing?!" Ace demanded his voice however quaking; the confidence he had the first time around seeming to leave him. "Your just making things worse for yourself and them."

"I'll take my chances." She told him "Question is…do you and your stooges want to raise the stakes, seeing how your muscle seems to be down for the moment?"

"Oooh, good point." Ace said his eyes darting briefly to Big Billy before meeting back with Shorty "How about this then, we let them go with a warning not to come back and pretend none of this ever happened."

Shorty contemplated this for a moment "Hmm, seems fair enough."

"WHAT?!" Ben nearly shouted "Your gonna let him take over our arcade! Do you know how hard it is to find one in this city?"

"Hey you're singing to the choir here." Shorty shot back "I JUST found the place and now I gotta give it up. But hey it better then going to the hospital over it or attracting the authorities, they would shut this place down for good. Then who do you think all those angry kids will come after?"

Ben's eyes widen in surprise at that, finding truth in that sentence as did the brown haired boy who raised an eyebrow.

"Uh y-yeah." Ace suddenly chimed in, his bravo starting to return a little. "I mean after all what they could do is ten times worst then whatever I can think. I mean have you ever seen gamers when they're denied their source of play?" He gives a short whistle. "Not pretty, quite frankly I think am letting you off easy. No?"

Ben glared at him at that, the shaking of his fist telling that he was torn between popping Ace one in the face and the truth of the outcome if he didn't back down. Finally after a few minutes the shaking stopped and he lowered his head. "…Fine."

Shorty nodded then turned to the brown haired boy "And you?"

"I got no qualms with it, can always play on my system at my house." He noted turning to Ben "You're always welcome to come by and get your gamage on there."

Ben raised his head a little and smiled at this before Ace clearing his throat caught his and the others attention "Alright then if that's settled, your all free to leave….and never come back!"

That sentence earned him three glares from the trio causing Ace to shrink back but the three soon calmed and began to complied as they head for the exit. Shorty keeping an eye on the four remaining Gangrene hoodlums in cased they tried anything but so far they were behaving.

"So far, so good, as long as these punks don't try anything this should go smoothly." However she noticed Ben's fist was still shaking visibly. "This kid though, he looks like he ready to pop any minute." She then turned to the brown haired boy "And I don't know who this guy is, so theres telling what he'll do. Oh man a firecracker and an enigma, not the best case scenario." Soon the entrance to the arcade was in sight within a few inches and closing "Almost there though, best I can do is hope for the best." With the she and the boys step on the doormat to open the automatic doors.

Outside, people were going about their business trying to get to their destination or were just on a stroll, some even considering entering the arcade to get their gamage fix.

-KA-BOOOM!!!-

That was until the doors to the place were blown clear off their hinges throwing people into buildings, cars and or even further down the street, inciting some very serious bruises from the explosions. Whereas from the source of where the blast came from, laughter could be heard inside the smoke as four hooligans laughed at what was obviously their doing.

"HAHAHAHAHAH! Exceeeeellent boss." The slender looking boy congratulated to his apparent leader "That was the best act I've ever seen, "Your all free to leave….and never come back!" Heheh brilliant."

-SMACK- The boy soon found himself rubbing his face from where Ace had punched him. "I know that doofus, but I can't enjoy it with you hissing all over me. " Ace growled but then straightens his sunglasses and grinned devilishly. "But man talk about a couple of rubes, like I let little punks like them get the best of me and take away my newfound kingdom."

"Yeah especially since you have experience in this stuff." The short member the group chirped out rather quickly "Was smart setting up something like this in case it happened."

"Truthfully I had some other targets in mind if they ever found the place." Ace grinned "But a couple of guinea pigs don't hurt either hehe. Just as well, unlike those three brats, these three will think twice about messing with us while they bandaged up like mummies at the hospital."

The bug-eyed green one then gave off a few raspberry sounds from his mouth, apparently the only bit of communication he could muster.

"HA you said it Grubber!" Soon all the members of the gang were laughing uproariously again over their apparent victory. –FLUP- Until something landed on Ace's face causing him to scream out a little like a girl. But once he calmed down, Ace removed it from his face. "Eh, what the…?" On close inspection, he noticed it to be the red cap Shorty was wearing beforehand. "Oh look guys, a souvenir to remember them by." He then proceeded to put it on his head…only to stop halfway as something halted him, that something being a slightly charred yet still standing girl in red.

"W-w-wha!" Ace choked in disbelief the others behind just as stumped even moreso when figures resembling Ben and the brown-haired boy walked through the smoke in the same condition as the girl and judging by their demeanor they didn't look too happy.

"Thanks..for….holding that." Shorty huffed, giving off a faux smile as she gripped the hat tightly while Ace just stood there his mouth hanging open in surprise. The brown hairded couldn't help but smirk at that expression as did Ben. "Man if only I had my camera." The latter quirked.

"I bet you wondering how we survive you little surprise unscathed." The brown-haired one perked up. "Heh considering you're the king of this domain, surely you would've known one of your subjects wasn't exactly normal. I mean really dude, look at me." He pulls back one of sleeves and shows him. To say the least Ace's eyes got even bigger then normal that it was almost filling up his face. Curious Shorty took a glance back herself and soon was sharing his surprise. "His arm…t-t-there no hand! No fingers!"

Indeed the boy's hands were nothing but stubs yet somehow he was still managing to grab his sleeves and pull it back. Ben was also raising an eyebrow as this was the first time he'd seen this as well. "Whoa dude how are you doing that?"

Finally after a few minutes in shock, Ace had found his voice "But if your like that, then that can only mean…!"

His grin going to wide proportions, the brown haired boy parted his hair revealing huge saucer like eyes, a white dot surrounded by black making up the pupils with a little brown color surrounding the edge of this. What was even more amazing was the fact that that the boy didn't have a nose on his face either. Yet didn't seem to bother him as he looked up and smile coyly.

"Yep that's right, am a Rowdyruff Boy!"

A huge –DOM- could be hard over room as this new revelation brought more shock down on the occupants. Shorty not even knowing what to make of this strange person while looking on in awe, "Rowdy…ruff…Boy?" her mind raced in wonder hearing this new term. But before she could ponder further, Ace's hold on her hat was beginning to loosen. She turned to him to see he and his cronies suddenly backing up fearfully, seems hearing this new news had struck a nerve.

"Uh heh, you know what. Now that I think about it this place is getting a little boring for us. You know hard on the eyes and all and we do get headaches every now and then, we were just thinking about relocating too. Right fellas?"

There were various responses from the others in a just as fearful tone as they continued backing up. But the Rowdyruff Boy was quickly gaining on them flexing his arm.

"Do you know how long I had to put up with your crap?" He asked stonely "Trying to refrain myself from kicking your kister just to keep order around here. To tell the truth Ace, am lazy as all get out. I rather take a nap then do a heroic deed that this city's mascots are so used to doing. Add to the fact that am a Rowdyruff Boy and well, am pretty much a cause for instant panic. Which is why I try to make myself less obvious and blend in with the good folks of this city while enjoying my favorite pastimes, one of which is PLAYING VIDEO GAMES!" This yelled darn near knocked the gang off their feet but the boy calmed himself down before continuing

"Sorry, but anywho, for the sake of this building, its business, and the all the gamers I kept my mouth shut, smile, nodded and went along with your "My domain" bologna." The sounds of knuckles cracking could suddenly be heard "But now, ooooh now. You had to cross the line, you had to take it too far, ya had to ruin a good thing by just trying to kill my fellow peacekeepers and me even after we agreed to your terms. And that, THAT is where I draw the line for as lazy as I am, I always keep my word." He smacks his stub into the other "And dole out punishment to those that don't!"

"Oh umm well" Ace said with a bit of nervous grin on his face "Any chance we can clear this up over a soda or anything?"

The brown-haired boy stared at him in silence before grinning a bit. "Sure why not."

The next thing Ace knew, the brown-haired boy was suddenly shooting toward him, the teenager's instinct barely kicked in and Ace moved out of the way. However, Snake was unfortunately the target of the grab and soon found himself being thrown in the empty juice bar.

"Ugh…am okay." He said dazedly covered in foodstuff before promptly collapsing.

Had Ben and Shorty's eyes haden't been widen enough they definitely meet anime animation standards.

"Wow." They both said at once but Ben quickly perked up when he noticed Ace started to make a break for an exit. "Hey, hes getting away!"

"Oh know you don't!" The brown-haired boy and Shorty yelled out at the same time as they made a rush for him, only to suddenly be stopped by the short stature of Lil Arturo, waving a knife like object around

"C'mon man, you don't wanna take me on I'll cut you! I'll cut you good!" Despite the threat however the two noticed the blade on the object wasn't drawn.

"O RLY?" Shorty asked razing an eyebrow then kicked it out of his hand and into the air. Lil Arturo gasped as Shorty caught it and flicked the "blade". "Wow your right, we should never miss with a guy who'll comb us to death." Indeed, say switchblade was really a comb designed as such. Once this was revealed Arturo started sweating bullets.

"Uh it'll give you…split ends?" He shrugged though was met with silence from the other two.

-POW-

Shorty hi-kicked him into the ceiling bouncing him off it and into a basketball machine's hoop where he landed in a clutter of very hard basketballs. Meanwhile Ace had managed to reach the door but to his dismay, it was locked.

"Hey tough guy!" Ben voice called out "FORE!"

"Wha..? -POP!- A skee-ball cracked him hard in the face causing the teen to stumble back then another and another. Soon it was becoming a whole shower of hits as the wooden balls kept coming, pleating Ace like a hailstorm. After while Ace quickly ducked behind the arcade for cover, one of which was a "Super Sumo" arcade that unfortunately was broken by the barrage.

"Aww man, you'll pay for that!" Ben growled, scooping up more balld and proceeding to the machines. "Ooooh Ace come out an plaaaaay."

Though when the green-skinned boy didn't oblige, Ben grinned even wider "Huh big bad bully scared now?" He took a few steps forward then jump to Ace's hiding spot. "HA! Huh…" Only to find nothing by a note which said …

"Look behind ya?" Ben asked before a trashcan suddenly plopped over him. Ace them knocked the boy to the ground and whistled "Yo Grubber! Lumberjack!"

"Pfft" Grubber responded then jumped on the can and rolled it around the arcade. Ben's lunch was starting to find it way up to his mouth during the ride.

"Ben!" Shorty yelled but the brown-haired boy quickly stopped her.

"I got this, go after their ringleader."

Shorty looked surprised at first but nodded while Grubber was soon reaching a dead end that featured a window out into the street. He quickly jumped off giving the can a kick and shooting it and Ben toward a very messy outcome.

-ZWOOOP!-

Least till brown-haired boy flew in and quickly grabbed it just inches from hitting the glass.

"Gotcha" He said then looked toward Grubber and grinned." Hang on Ben!"

The Rowdyruff grabbed Ben's legs then began to twirl, going faster and faster the can still stuck on Ben. After awhile however he slings Ben in Grubber's direction though held onto Ben's legs. The can however was sent flying and whapped right into Grubber sending him into a "test your strength machine. The metal hitting the bell upon landing and flying right off and right onto Grubber head, knocking him out.

"STRIKKE!" The brown-haired boy yelled then looked at Ben. "You alright?"

"2 for one on pickles in Hawaii, how can I miss this!' He said dazedly

""I'll take that as a yeah."

In the midst of all of this, Ace had managed to find a backdoor to the building leading into the alleyway.

"Whew finally made it our of that madhouse." He huffed "Geez every time I get a good thing going. Theres always gotta be some superhero to ruin everything!."

The sound of clattering suddenly filled his ears before something hit him in the back of the knees. Causing him to been backward, just in time to catch a view of a blur of red coming down toward him.

"GAAAAH!" Ace rolled out of the way before a knee was almost pressed into his stomach, cracking the ground instead. "Wha-what?! YOU!"

He shaking lifted a finger towards Shorty who was getting to her feet, a ominous grin on displayed under her cap.

"Aww c'mon give me a break." Ace pleaded, "Y-y-you can take a joke right? B-beside aren't you suppose to be a superhero or something?"

Shorty responds with quick open palm strikes hitting Ace in the stomach a few times before following it up with a elbow to the chin and an uppercut sending him flying into a wall and a few garbage cans.

"Not super, but I try." Shorty smiled, cracking her knuckles as she approaches Ace "Now then let you and me get more _acquainted_."

However, as she went to pick him up he noticed a rather scared expression on his face. "What? I know I beat ya, but it not all that surprising." However, he kept the look causing question marks to appear over Shorty's head.

"ROOOOWR!"

That however got her attention along with the very audible stomping that was coming their way. Not soon after the figure of a very Godzilla like monster could be seen above the arcade, letting out another screech that quickly broke the windows of every building and cars on the street, even Ace's glasses. All the while Shorty looked on, speechless and stunned. Though soon she found her voice

"Well…didn't see that coming."


	6. Monster Mash

Moving Day

By RichieD.

Act 6

"W-W-W-What going on?!" Ben shouted coming out of his dizzy spell. "S-S-Sounds like an earthquake!"

"N-No…" The boy haired boy answered "The tempo not constant." His eyes widen though. "It not an earthquake, it a…!"

"MONSTER!!!" A random citizen yelled out indicting panic among the street as the monster continued to thrash everything around it. Feet smashing cars, tail hitting against the buildings, teeth ripping through concrete like it was bread and so on and so on as the monster continued it rampage.

And in the midst of it all, in a narrow alleyway behind one of Townsville's local arcades. There stood Shorty who was looking up at the creature in pure shock and awe.

"I…I don't believe it! The rumors, the stories, they're true!"

"Huh, what are you…talking about?' Ace coughed, his legs shaking from the beatdown he got just a few seconds ago. "This shouldn't be…anything new."

"Like I told you am new here so I don't know anything about these Godzilla raids!"

A roar shook up the whole area as the beastie once again let itself be known.

"Though I can learn real fast!' Shorty answered quickly then grabbed Ace. "C'mon back into the arcade!" She said, dragging the green-skinned hoodlum back inside despite the rumbling made it difficult.

"Oooookay!" Ben said shakingly "What are we going to do?!"

"Were just gonna wait here and let him pass." Brown-haired boy said, "This building small, so hopefully it won't notice us. Of course there the high possibility that we could be squashed."

"Oh that brings me MUCH confidence." Shorty sarcastically quipped.

"Hey am just being realistic here!" He shot back "One thing you have to learn about this city. ANYTHING could happen!"

No sooner, then he said that, something crashed through the front window on a direct collision course with the group.

"GAAAAAAH!" Shorty yelled, feebly throwing up her hands to shield herself "Amgonnadie,amgonnadie,amgonnadie,amgonnadie!"

-CRUNCH-

After a moment of bracing for impact from that crash, Shorty realized no pain had come from the second it should've and wearily opened her eyes. There stood the brown-haired boy in front of her, his arm out to his sides, the wind that was rushing by giving him a rather fierce appearance.

"Wha-What happened?"

-CRASH-

The sound of that made her jump, prompting Shorty to quickly turn to it. Her eyes once again growing in surprise for the umpteenth time that day. For in the corners of the room was a red corvette that by the looks of it that was ripped in two. The biggest shock however was the debris that was scattered around, not just from the vehicle, but from the many arcades which once adorned the building that were now bits and pieces across the room.

Even with the sight before her, Shorty couldn't believe what she saw. Even for a battle ready individual such of herself, seeing that kind of power was unheard of in her mind. Yet there it was as common as black and white presenting itself like some skewered artwork right in front of her.

And quite frankly, it was actually starting to scaring her.

Something suddenly grasped her shoulders causing her to jump, she turned to find it belong to her savior, the brown-haired Rowdyruff who was trying to tell her something. Yet the words were coming out all garbled, the sight of the tarnished corvette still fresh in her mind, however the feel of her shoulders being shaken began to bring her back to her senses.

"Oy hey Red, are you alright?"

"Huh oh uh y-yeah am fine! Am fine!"

"Oh good looked like your brain went on vacation there." Ben grinned "But talk about close, you nearly became a pancake! If my friend here hadn't gotten in the way..."

"Aww shucks" He beamed "It was nothing."

"Nothing…" Shorty repeated then her eyes widen, "NOTHING? Are you kidding me! Y-Y-You saved me, and ripped a car. A CAR, which is what, a hundred pounds of pure steel and machinery? As if it was a phone book! I definitely don't call that NOTHING!"

The browned haired boy stared as silence filled the room (save for the continued yelling, screaming, and stomping outside.) no one saying a word in response to that exclamation. After awhile the boy blinked a few times before he…blushed?

"R-really? You think so?" he sheepishly smiled, rubbing the back of the head.

The building suddenly shook with much ferocity, interrupting the moment, cracks beginning to show themselves on the ceilings and wall, debris now beginning to shower the group inside the arcade.

"Uh" Ben stammered, "Something tells me that possibility of being squashed is starting to happen!!!" Indeed the chunks were starting to get bigger. "WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!"

"But what about these guys?!" Shorty said pointing to the fallen Gangrenes "We can't leave them!"

"We can't?" Ben quipped though got a nasty glare from Shorty in return. "I suppose you're right. But there no way we can get the big guy out of here!"

"Uh hello, Rowdyruff!" The brown-hair boy said motioning to himself. "Hang on!" In a blur of black light he zipped around the room grabbing each of the delinquent teens in one fell swoop.

"…So fast." Shorty awed watching this display in action and then suddenly the world became a blur as she felt herself being whisked away. "Huh what?" It took awhile to regain her senses but she did she found herself in the air traveling above the city. "W-wwWWWAHHHHHH! WHATS GOING ON?!"

"Please keep your hands and legs in your seat at all times" She heard the brown-haired boy call out. After a bit of looking around she found out where: underneath her. Or rather the pile of bodies he was carrying as he was flying through the city with Shorty and Ben on top of the bruised Gangrene Gang. "Hehe I've always wanted to say that."

"I…I…YIYIYIYI!" Shorty said nearly stumbling off the pile had Ben not grabbed her.

"Whoa you alright?"

"I …this… Monster …flying…! "

"Hehe yeah I know." Ben chuckled "It kinda blew my mind too when I moved here. But don't worry after a few more raids and such. You…kinda…get used to it."

Shorty looked at him with uncertainty "More?"

Before Ben could answer, another roar shook up area. The two looked back to the see the beast was right on their tail!

"Uh-oh! Yo dude can you fly any faster!" Ben shouted to brown hair "I think our friend there sees us floating appetizers!"

The brown-haired boy gritted his teeth as he pushed up the speed. Buildings all going by in a rapid blur, yet somehow the beast was able to stay on them. His teeth snapping each time he closed the distance though the Rowdyruff was able to dodge it lunges, however brown-hair was having difficulty alternating between seeing where he was going and looking back to see when the monster coming in for a bite to stay one step ahead of it. Flying around corners of buildings didn't seem to slow it down neither as the beast would just plow right through it!

"_Only one chance_" The Rowdyruff thought to himself "HANG ON!"

"What do you think were doing?!" Shorty and Ben shouted to him before the former suddenly realize something. "Uh…guy? You do know that were flying head on toward a building right?"

"Yep."

"Uh huh and may I ask why?"

"You'll see"

"Ah…are you by chance suicidal?"

"We'll know in a minute."

"…" Shorty then turned to Ben "Scream now?'

"Oh yeah" He told her and soon both of them gave their lungs a work out as they were a foot away from either being paste on the side of the building or lunch for a gigantic beast behind them who speaking of was quickly coming in for another lunge.

'ErrrrRAAAAH!!!!" The Rowdyruff suddenly arc upward at the last second flying straight up the side of the building, just barely managing to clear the monster as it snapped at them. It subsequently crashing into the building after losing its snack

"HOLY GEEZ!" Shorty yelled hanging on for dear life "Y-Y-You!"

"Hehe had you going there neh?" The brown-haired boy chuckled.

Shorty chuckled punchingly at that along with him. "Hehehe yeah. Nice trick. DON'T EVER…DO THAT AGAIN!

The Rowdyruff sweatdropped at that, his chuckling changing to that of a nervous one, however, he perked up when he and the others heard the building rumbling again, cracks soon appearing on the layout of it.

"Oh no, not again!" Ben shouted out, but her fears were confirmed when debris began to fall off from the cracks and down the building. Some on a straight collision course straight for the group!

"INCOMING!" Ben yelled to which the Rowdyruff made to fly around them though this was even more difficulty then dodging the monster as in this scenario the Rowdyruff could hardly see a thing. He did a good job of dodging most of them, but there was one that was headed straight for them. "GAAAAAH!"

"HAWK LEG BOOZUKA!"

Shorty suddenly jumped up from the group twirled then kicked her leg hard at the incoming rock, making a direct impact with it. No sooner then she did the rock cracked then broke apart spitting into two that flew on either side of the flying mass, missing the bunch entirely.

"Wow." Ben awed "I know I've seen it before when she used it on that big goof. But am still not used to seeing how powerful it is." He sighs a little. "Wish I had that kinda power." However he shook his head and grinned "HA Nice going Red!"

Shorty turned to him and winked and she was coming down to land on the incoming mass.

-POW-

However her eye suddenly widen as she felt something hard hit her in the head, a piece of debris that she hadn't noticed, and sent her reeling downward erratically. Hitting the side of the flying mass, bouncing off it, and plunging back downward to the city streets, Ben and the Rowdyruff's eyes widening in horror as the scene played out like a slow-motion shot from their P.O.V. Both of their mouth however quickly reacted in unison.

"SHORTY!!!!!"

End of Act


	7. Flashes of the Rainbow

Moving Day

By RichieD.

(A/N: If your gonna leave reviews, do so intelligently. I don't consider a brain dead flame a review, thank you.)

Act 7

Darkness…Total Darkness…Once again fulfilling her surroundings. Not a speck of light anywhere to let her know where she was, eeriness soon creeping up on her as if someone had loosed bugs onto her person.

And then a soft glow directed her attention to it location, a pink glow which seem to be casting out the darkness around her. She took a step to it curiosity getting the better of her as she went closer. The glow getting brighter and soon beginning to take shape the more she near it. Until soon she could finally make out a image from the light, the image of a butterfly like symbol.

"W-Whats that…?" She asked it, apparently hearing a voice from it. "I…don't understand."

She waits some more as she basked in the glow.

"You need me to do what?" She blinked "I can't hear you speak louder….Louder!….YOU'RE BREAKING UP!"

Suddenly the light soon reached blinding proportions and the symbol suddenly got bigger till it seemed like it was rushing for her and then…

"-GASP- HUH W-WHAT?!" The owner of the voice yelled out then looked upward…or rather downward as she found herself freefalling back to Earth!

"OH MY…GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

Her voice echoed all the way down to the area as the wind rushed past her, throwing more fear into as she felt her descend quicken toward her date with concrete.

"Is…is this how it end." She thought to herself despite the screaming she was doing "Was Axel right? After all that danger I put myself into this is what does me in? Is this my…destiny?"

Eventually her lungs couldn't hold her screaming anymore and she clinch her mouth shut. Her eyes soon following suit, bracing herself for the inevitable.

-BOMP-

The ground seemed to come up a long quicker then she anticipated; yet she didn't seem to feel herself go splat. In fact the ground felt…scaly?

"Huh?" Opening her eyes, Shorty found that she indeed hadn't landed on concrete, in fact she was still a few feet away from touchdown. What she had landed on however was the knocked out form of the monster that just tried to take a bite out of her and her friends.

After a bit of hard breathing and a chance to collect herself (as well as thanking the higher powers) she shakingly got to her feet and took a look around, finding that she had landed on the snout of the monster which was currently knocked out against the building from hitting it.

"Where…who…what…" She muttered to herself as she looked around trying to regain her bearings. "I just…feel fell from a….I don't how many feet that is…and I landed on ….what is this?" Shorty got up and tapped the skin a bit. "Feel warm and wet…is this sweat?" She pulled her hand back and indeed found a glop of water on it. "Oh EWWW!"

As she made this exclamation, however the beast began to come to. It eyes opening as it found itself in a haze, its head still spinning. Soon though the marbles clicked back into place and it soon regain it focus…and found a tiny morsel on it person who was presently preoccupied.

"Ugh" Shorty groans wiping away the sweat "Well can't say this day wasn't interesting. But how the heck am I going to get down from here. Hmm maybe I can jump to the stomach and slide down the rest of the way. Doesn't look...too far down." She cringed when she played out the scenario in her head. "Maybe I can wait for that Rowdyruff Boy or maybe find my another way down."

Thus she turned to find such a way…and ran smack into the two open eyes of the beast which to say the least had its pupils fixated on her.

"Uh…h-hi?" Shorty said nervously "Don't suppose you got an e-escalator on you or…anything?"

When the pupils formed into a rather hungry glare, Shorty pretty much had her answer.

"Yeah didn't think so!"

-YOINK- Where she once stood now was nothing but a dust image which quickly dissipated while the real deal made tracks along the monster's snout.

"If I can get a good running distance, I can probably make it to the stomach and use the momentum to skate down it side. As long as it doesn't get up or anything. I might be able to do it without too much injury!" As the jump came up to her though she couldn't help but gulp. "I hope…BANZAI!"

Once she was within edge of the snout, she bended her knees then shot of the side of the monster into the air, making the fall before her even more heighting then it needed to be. Regardless Shorty kept her focus on the stomach and noticed she managed to get a good jump, seeing she was on par with the target.

"AM GONNA MAKE IT!"

-CHOMP-

Suddenly the brightness of the day turn to dark real quick not to mention the surroundings seem to change from the city setting to a rather dank place where the walls seem to be pulsating, formed around what look like sharpen ivory shaped buildings.

"-GASP- W-WHAT GOING ON?!" Shorty yelled on instinct and felt her hitting premature ground which seem rather wet and slimy, in fact she found it was hard to stand or grab onto. Not only due to the wetness but that the ground was…moving?

"GAH W-W-WHOA WHOA WHOA!" She yelled as she slipped and slide along the "ground". "I can't get any tractioooOOOOOON!!!!"

The ground tilted without warning and Shorty found herself fling backward toward what looked like a dark and seemingly bottomless pit the only thing in the way being a bell shaped object hanging over it.

"Wait…I know that shape…THIS IS…!"

Seeing that she was nearing the pit, Shorty quickly reached out and grabbed the "bell" barely managing to hang onto to it.

"Uh-uh pal, am not becoming your lunch today!" She yelled trying to get as much of grip as she could though the "bell" or in this case a uvula aren't exactly known for their grasping quality. However as she continued to do, outside the monster was beginning to become irrated. As it pawed at it throat and swung it head trying to get it food to go down it throat without much success.

"HEY TALL GREEN AND BULKY!" The monster turned at that quip…

-KA-POW-

…And receive a massive smack to the face as an equally green blur rushed by. "TAKE THAT!"

The monster let out a roaring sound as it fell backward and crashed along the street in a painful display.

'YEAH HOW DO YOU LIKE MY KUNCKLE SANDWHICH?!" A girl who seem very similar to the Rowdyruff Boy yelled out, only she was in a green styled dress with the black belt around her waist along with Mary Jane style stocking and shoes, her eyes seemingly matching with dress along with her short brunette hair.

"Ugh Buttercup!" A figure called out to the flying girl prompting her to turn to two similarly dressed and shaped figures as they came up to her. "What do you think you doing?!" One in red called though her hairstyle was that of a red head done a ponyrtail with a bow to complete he ensemble.

"What do you mean what am I doing! Am beating the monster!'

"I can see that but you could've waited for us!"

"Heh hey you snow you lose. Am not gonna wait around all day for you slowpokes!'

"Hey am not slow!" This quip coming from a girl dressed in blue, her hair blonde with tiny pigtails on either side of her head. "Am just not as aerodynamic."

"Yeah whatever" Buttercup told her " Point is it over and done with now. I beat the monster and unless you wanna get some cheap licks in, you might as well cart him back to Monster Isle where he came from.'

'Uh Buttercup?"

"Hmm what no…' POW! A tail swipe suddenly came from out of nowhere and sent her flying into one of the buildings, the monster soon uprighted itself, not looking very pleased at all.

'BUTTERCUP!" Both girls cried out then turn their attention and glares toward the monster. "You'll pay for that Bubbles, Laser Storm!"

"Right!"

The two flew to the side of the beast as they dodged it claw and tail swipes, blasting red colored lasers that started searing it skin. The monster letting out yet another roar indicating that attack was indeed working as it flailed around in a desperate attempt to knock away the assliants.

"WHOA WHHHOOOOA HEY EASY!" Shorty yelled out trying hard to keep her grip on the uvula, which was swinging around wildly. "WHATS GOING ON OUT THERE!"

Outside the laser barrage went on as the girls continued leaving marks on the monster's body. After awhile though the beast had enough then took to the air above them.

"W-Wha?" Bubbles said looking toward the sky "What he doing?"

Her question was soon answered as the beast's shadow fell upon her and the other girl. "-GASP- Blossom LOOK OUT!"

The two girls quickly zipped out of the way as the beast landed with a massive crash. Shaking up the entire area and causing a huge crater to appear in the middle of the street it landed on.

"Huh w-wha? Who put on the fire?' Buttercup asked wearily a shockwave sending her flying into the air. "WHOOA! WHAT THE… OH NOW I REMEMBER!" She blasted off from the spot straight on toward beast. "TORNADO!" She began to spin in air, the wind picking up and swirling around her she soon became a funnel of her namesake that tackled into the beast lifting it off the air. However, it only managed to get it off the ground a bit as the monster was a lot heavier then it looked. The beast then growled and, defying all physics, somehow managed to grab the tornado and push back. Slowing its assault till eventually the wind died down followed by the tornado itself leaving only the spinning Buttercup in its place as she wobbled around the air dazed, though her skin color now matched her outfit

"OooooOOooooh check…please?" She said as her eye spun in her sockets. This ended though when a hand reached up and grabbed her. "AHHH HEY LEMME GO!"

The beast grinned as he was all too happy to oblige to that bringing Buttercup up to it mouth. "Wait! On the ground! On the ground! " She pleaded, but these fell on deaf ears as the monster opened it mouth to throw her in.

"SONIC SCREAM!!!!" The called was followed by an ear piercing echo that resounded through the area, stopping the beastie in it tracks as it covered it ears in a futile attempt to block out the sound attack. As it does so, Bubbles swooped in and whacked the monster hard in the head causing it to cringe more though it held fast to Buttercup.

"Oh my look at those horrible blisters on your tootsie." The red colored girl known as Blosson said "Let me soothe them for you. HEAT BREATH!" Taking a deep breath Bloosom let out on fiery blast that scorched the beast's foot. The monster hopping up and down in pain. To which Blossom took the time to fly head on and fist first into it stomach.

"SOOOOME ONE HELP MEEEE!" Shorty cried out from the inside of the beast, the rumbling outside causing her to lose her grip on the uvula little by little. "Ugh I can't…hang on any longer!" Slowly but surely her grip begin to loosen till finally she let go and fell into the abyss that was the monster's throat…

…However no sooner then she did a rush of hot air blew from underneath her and sent her flying back upward toward the mouth which surprisingly was open at the moment.

"HOLY SHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

-FWOOSH-

Shorty found her once again flung high high over the city and the battle that was taking place below, the participants of such oblivious to her plight.

"Did you…hear something?" Blossom asked Bubbles as the two went in for another strike to the monster.

"Yeah thought it sounded like screaming"

"Uh guys A LITTLE HELP HERE!!!!!' Buttercup shouted trying to pry herself from the monster's claw. Blossom and Bubbles look at one another and shrugged before dashing and thwacking the monster with super fast attack, knocking the monster senseless and weakening it enough for Buttercup to finally join in. Together the three charge at the monster in a flash of punches and kicks where till finally it couldn't take anymore and landed in heap on the street, out for good. Mass cheering soon followed from the citizen below as the girls waved to them.

While meanwhile, Shorty continued to sail over the city, gravity soon beginning to take hold and send her plummeting back toward Earth.

"Oh NOT AGAAAAAAAIIIIN!' She yelled out as the ground neared at a rapid pace…and then suddenly stopped just an inch from touching her face. "H-Huh?'

"Whew gotcha!"

Shorty perked up at that familiar voice and turned to see none other then the Rowdyruff Boy holding onto her by the back of her overalls. "Heh a little late but hey better late then never huh?"

"Heh…heheheh…" The bully bounty hunter laughed at that, though from the tone of it, it sounded forced.

"Y-Yeah."

And that was the last thing out of her mouth for the moment as Shorty promptly fainted right then and there.

End of Act 7


End file.
